


Fluidity

by lady_slice



Series: Teacup Redux [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angry Sex, Biting, Bottom Hannibal, Bottom Will, Canon Continuation, Canon-Typical Violence, Conflicted Will, Dark, Dark Will, Developing Relationship, Drunk Hannibal, Drunk Sex, Drunk Will, Dry Humping, Dry Sex, Episode: s03e01 Antipasto, Episode: s03e02 Primavera, Episode: s03e04 Aperitivo, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Hannibal Loves Will, Hannibal and Will are equals, Hannibal is Hannibal, Hannibal is a Cannibal, Hurt/Comfort, Intimacy, Introspection, Jealous Hannibal, Jealous Will, Kissing, Lots of Sex, Love Confessions, M/M, Make up sex, Male Homosexuality, Masturbation, Memory Palace, Mental Anguish, Mindfuck, Minor Original Character(s), Murder Husbands, Mutual Masturbation, Non-Linear Narrative, Oral Sex, POV Hannibal, Palermo, Past Relationship(s), Possible Character Death, Post-Episode: s02e13 Mizumono, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Post-Finale, Psychological Drama, Resolved Sexual Tension, Rough Sex, Serial Killer Husbands, Serial Killer Will, Sharing a Bed, Shower Sex, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Top Hannibal, Top Will, Vulnerable Hannibal, Vulnerable Will Graham, Wendigo, Will Graham Loves His Dogs, Will Loves Hannibal, Will and Hannibal in Cuba, Will is a Cannibal, but it's justified unlike, hannibal the novel - AU, multi-chapter, seeing through Hannibal's person suit, who is pretty much jealous 80 percent of the time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-02 22:47:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 99,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8686318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_slice/pseuds/lady_slice
Summary: Will’s emotions are out of control. He both hates and loves Hannibal, but he can’t seem to settle on which emotion he truly feels. He thought throwing them both off a cliff would be the end of the torment, but, of course, it was only the beginning. He didn’t account for Hannibal’s willingness to fight for the both himself and Will after consummating their relationship with the death of Francis Dolarhyde. Now Will must come to terms with his new life on the run with the man who changed his life so drastically or seek a way out, a way out that could kill this man: Someone who means so much to Will even through the past betrayal.Narrative focused on Hannibal and Will’s relationship before and (mostly) after the Fall, as well as details on how Will begins to recognize his deeper feelings for Hannibal, but struggles over how his present feelings coincide with past hurt and mistrust pre-Fall. He eventually accepts his new life with Hannibal.Murder Husband plot with relationship, sexuality, and identity issues and flashbacks to their relationship pre-Fall with added material to the original plot. Fluff, angst, canon-esque plot, sex, and Cuba.Also -- expect a happy ending :)





	1. Hateful.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy shipping, fellow shipmates
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading my work !
> 
> \-- lady_slice

_I hated you._

 

Will angrily thought to himself as Hannibal tended to the injury on the younger man's cheek. Although it was just a flesh wound, that hadn’t done severe damage to his face, the pain was immense. Will could barely keep himself from writhing in pain while his thoughts of anger and confusion over the Fall swam in his head.

 

_I still hate you. I wanted you dead. I wanted us both dead, but you intervened...how dare you?_

 

Will winced in pain, trying to pull himself away, but Hannibal held onto him tightly, albeit gently.

 

_You killed Abigail._

 

Another current of pain shot through his body.

 

_…And murdered or tried to murder others that I love..._

 

Will’s mind stopped circling for a moment.

 

_...others that I…once loved?_

 

Will’s rationality struggled to reconcile the dueling emotions. On one hand, his body relished in being close to Hannibal’s, yet his mind wouldn't let him forget the hurt he had experienced at the hands of Doctor Lecter. The mental and emotional contention forced his mind to work uncontrollably as his thoughts raced through his head, worsening his physical pain.

 

“Will, I need you to hold still, please. Just for a moment. I’m almost finished.” Hannibal said softly as he cleaned Will’s cheek wound and prepared sutures and bandages.

 

Will drowned out anything Hannibal was saying, trying to keep himself from punching the older man in his face. Hannibal attempted to soothe Will, while he stitched the gap in his cheek shut.

 

Hannibal caressed Will's face with his free hand and gave him a small, loving smile. It reminded Will of the few times he and Hannibal had looked at each other deeply before the Fall. But he was still incredibly angry with Hannibal and thought it wouldn't take much to attack the older man and escape. Again, his mind fought to do so, but his body longed to stay with his companion.

 

Will thought back tothe hours he had spent with Hannibal before the Fall.

 

Did he want to kiss Hannibal? Will was not entirely sure what he wanted. The surge of adrenaline experienced after killing Dolarhyde fueled his desire (and he was sure Hannibal’s as well) to kiss the man who had destroyed his life and took away people he deeply cared about. Memories of Beverley’s severed body and Abigail gasping for life after her throat was cut, clouded Will’s mind to the point that his emotions became too much to handle as Hannibal dressed his wounds.

 

Will knew he had never known himself any better than when he was with Hannibal. And the physical manifestation of this scared him. Maybe it _was_ too much for him to manage.

 

He couldn't breathe. He thought about the consequences of killing Dolarhyde and not dying with Hannibal.

 

Will reacted.

 

“Get your hands off me!” Will spat as his mind conjured up the image of Abigail dying next to him in Hannibal’s kitchen.

 

Hannibal let go of Will to give him room to let his frustration out. He sat quietly in the chair next to the bed the younger man was lying in as Will made his way to the common area of their temporary hideout.

 

Will paced around the room, holding the bandage on his cheek in place as his wounds throbbed in pain and anger swelled up in his body. It took a considerable amount of mental, as well as physical, strength not to destroy anything in the room, as to avoid further harm to his already damaged body.

 

Hannibal waited a few minutes as the pacing of footsteps in the common area finally died down to appear before Will. Hannibal could feel the heat of Will’s emotions, even before this sudden outburst. There had been tension between them since they first met in Jack’s office, yet Hannibal was willing to be patience and give Will time to talk to him rationally.

 

Or irrationally. Whichever way Will choose to release his tension toward Hannibal and their relationship.

 

Hannibal knew he had hurt Will tremendously. His attempts at crafting Will’s identity from the beginning had damaged Will both mentally and physically. It led to the two men wanting to kill the other. However, his attempts also led them to this current space in time: face to face, on the same playing field.

 

Will’s back was facing Hannibal, but Will knew he was in the room waiting for him to say or do something.

 

“Hannibal…” Will started. The pain from his wounds were becoming even more irritating. His head started to swim as he struggled to hold himself up properly. He tried to grab the mantle on the fireplace, but his fingers struggled to keep a good grip on the red brick.

 

Suddenly there was a loud _thud_. Will opened his eyes and could barely make out a blurry face that belonged to Hannibal. Hannibal was trying to say something to him, but the words did not register. How could he be so confused about this one single person? No one has ever made him feel so angry and lustful almost simultaneously.

 

Their relationship was the embodiment of an emotional roller coaster, to put it quite literally. Will _wanted_ Hannibal when they had murdered Dolarhyde. Although focused on his intended target, Will could not help but notice Hannibal and the skillful way the older man moved as he work to dispatch the Red Dragon with him. At the time, it felt as if this was one of the many murders they had experienced together. They had worked so seamlessly and effortlessly together that Will felt compelled to give into Hannibal once they had finished. Mentally, emotionally...physically...

 

Yet, Will knew he had crossed over into another life not supported by this world.

 

As the act came to a close, Will knew the only solution to their murderous consummation was death for both himself and Hannibal. Will never suspected a life on the run would be a viable option for the two men, but Hannibal had chosen for them before he embraced Will, bathed in blood.

 

_This is all I ever wanted for you, Will._

 

Will passed out after his mind drifted back to the embrace with Hannibal: the point at which the older man admitted his true feelings. Hannibal feeling safe to do so after their greatest act together.

 

Will felt his head hit a soft pillow as he drifted off to a sleep induced by a significant amount of pain and medication.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal stood by the bed watching Will succumb finally to the pain medication. It would be easier for him now to dress Will’s wounds properly before the younger man awoke again. Hannibal felt a surge in his body as he watched his companion sleep soundly. His chest slowly rising and hair messily swept to the side of his face.

 

He tried to calm Will down in the common area, but it was evident that Will did not hear him; the younger man's mind was someplace else. Possibly at the cliff? It had been a couple of days since the Fall, and Hannibal had to tend to both his own wounds as well as his younger companion's. Will had suffered greatly from the impact of the fall and almost drowned if Hannibal had not acted quickly. He half carried Will to a safe house 30 miles away from the cliff house. Hannibal struggled; it took him most of the night and early morning to dragged them both there, but Hannibal was determined to save them both.

 

Will let out a sleep sound as he laid supine on the bed with his palms turned upward.

 

_I know you’ve hated me, but someday you will trust me._

 

Hannibal thought to himself. Only Will could be his partner in life till the very end, and he knew, given some time and self-reflection, Will would feel the same. The events on the cliff and actions before had been clear signs of Will’s true nature and feelings toward Hannibal, but these past actions were muddied by manipulation and distrust. Hannibal knew that escaping Jack and the FBI would bond them together. They were essentially made for each other. No one knew the extent of their psyche as they both did. Will was struggling to admit this, but flashes of hope always appeared in their interactions with each other.

 

_It’s beautiful._

 

Hannibal cherished those words as he continued to watch Will sleep. He finished applying bandages to his companion's wounds.

 

Soon Will would come to accept his true nature and life with Hannibal, the question was how long this would take and whether Will would accept him entirely or begrudgingly. Hannibal was usually confident in his ability to attract people to him. However, very few had stayed to see his true person: the darkness that arose in him before a hunt and the possibilities that it would yield.

 

None were permanent. Will was different, yet still distant. Hannibal knew he would need to give Will time to accept his own darkness before accepting Hannibal’s. But the prospect was there. Hannibal saw it in Will’s eyes during their consummation and after, plunging to their potential deaths.

 

He would give him time.

 

Hannibal finished dressing Will’s wounds and pulled a cover over the bottom half of Will’s body.

 

He left the room to retire to his own.

 

Hannibal thought about sharing a room with Will. Both bedrooms had double beds, so it would be possible, but he was concerned about another outburst from Will if he pushed too soon. He, of course, would not touch him unless asked, but the mere act of sharing a room and a bed with someone who was fiercely questioning themselves could risk pushing Will away further.

 

Hannibal laid in his bed with thoughts of Will and himself on the cliff. He also thought about the way Will looked while he slept soundly, probably getting a better sleep than he’s had in a while due to the medication. Hannibal thought about the almost close brush of their lips as they stood embracing each other on the cliff. He smiled at the way Will grabbed him in a post-orgasmic embrace and the way their eyes meet each other.

 

Hannibal thought about touching himself, but controlled his urges. Part of this was the pleasure in denying himself a relaxing release for time to time, but he also knew that whatever he did to himself would be nothing compared to being intimate with Will.

 

Hannibal needed more time to address Will’s issues and Will needed more time to grasp the situation at hand. He did, however, let his mind wonder and fantasize about being with Will and all that would entail. Hannibal finally drifted off to sleep with his hand resting on his aching cock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two: Unrequited?
> 
> “Mizumono”, “Primavera”, and "Aperitivo" Revisited. 
> 
> We see the beginning of Will's current struggle with accepting who he is. Will tries to understand what Hannibal had seen in him; trying to pry open Will's heart to release the darkness from within.
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	2. Unrequited?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mizumono”, “Primavera”, and "Aperitivo" Revisited.
> 
> We see the beginning of Will's current struggle with accepting who he is. Will tries to understand what Hannibal had seen in him: the older man attempting to pry open Will's heart to release the darkness from within.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :) I would not be here writing, pouring my heart out over Hannigram if I did not have other Hannigram fans who could relate to me.

_“Mizumono”, “Primavera”, and "Aperitivo" Revisited_

 

_About four years ago..._

 

Will's mind is dreaming...

 

Will feels Hannibal standing behind him once he and Abigail stop talking. Will turns around to face him. The younger man struggles to rip his gaze away from Hannibal’s dark eyes.

 

Those…eyes...

 

Will’s heart thumps slightly in his chest and his body aches. Slowly, Hannibal reaches out with his hand to cup Will’s face. Will leans into the gesture, feeling Hannibal’s warmth radiating from his whole body. He is sure, in this very moment, that he and Hannibal would finally share a wanting kiss. His body loses itself in the moment.

 

…everything feels…right…why wasn’t it always this way?

 

Hannibal looks at Will the way someone would his beloved. This feeling quickly dissipates, however, as Will begins to sense Hannibal’s hurt emotions in the older man's eyes. Hannibal fights his body’s compulsion to only stroke Will’s face; his mind wants to see Will suffer for what he had done to him. He settles on inflicting a grave wound, one that would not kill Will. It will allow the paramedics enough time to reach his house and save him. Despite all that had occurred between the two men, Hannibal can’t bring himself to kill Will. He means more to him now than ever before.

 

But an act of violence is the only way Hannibal communicates his feeling of anguish, despair, anger…hurt…

 

An act of betrayal was about the only thing Hannibal had a low tolerance for. And the man who he considered to be a friend…more than a friend…had betrayed his trust. Hannibal forces himself to accept the dark outcome of past events and moves forward.

 

The knife plunges into Will’s side. In response to the action, Will’s face contorts into twisted confusion as he collapses to the floor, wheezing in pain at the shock of the knife in his side coupled with Hannibal’s somber look.

 

“...we couldn’t leave without you.” Hannibal stumbles as he watches Will fight off death as best as he can.

 

Hannibal waits before he speaks again.

“Now that you know me, see me…"

 

Will gurgles in pain.

 

“…I gave you a rare gift, but you didn’t want it. Do you believe you could change me, the way that I’ve changed you?” Hannibal concluded.

 

Will tilts his head up enough to stare Hannibal in the eyes, struggling to keep his gaze on the older man for its intended effect.

 

“…I already did.”

 

Hannibal breathes in heavily. He’s bloodied from the battle with Jack, who lies dying in the pantry.

 

“…fate and circumstance has returned us to this moment. When the teacup shatters…I forgive you, Will. Will you forgive me?”

Will’s mouth opens as he strains to answer, but as the blood drains from his body, his vision becomes dim and he can no longer speak. The image of Hannibal slicing Abigail’s throat and her gasps hang in his blurred vision.

 

The stag takes its last breath.

 

As Will lies dying in the kitchen, trying to reach for Abigail as she gasps her last breath, Will thinks only of Hannibal. He isn't sure if he could ever forgive him for what he had done. How can he forgive someone who tried to kill him? But then again, Will had tried to kill Hannibal.

 

Will sees the pain in Hannibal’s eyes from the past and understands Hannibal’s response to his betrayal. They had hurt each other deeply. How can they reconcile their broken relationship?

 

Abigail takes her last breath. She lies on the kitchen tiles warmed by blood with her eyes wide open in terror.

 

The hurt is unbearable.

 

... _can I ever forgive him?_

 

…yet…even in this moment and after all the other acts of betrayal, Will knows that there is something about Hannibal that was comforting on a basic level. He was (and still is) someone who finally understands Will’s psyche. However, this person is manipulative.

 

But isn't Will manipulative as well? Christ, he is like Hannibal.

 

_I gave you a rare gift…Will you forgive me?_

Hannibal’s words linger in Will’s mind as he watches blood swarm the carcass of the phantom stag.

 

Will wakes up with a jolt as the flood of blood drowns his body and Abigail’s.

 

* * *

 

Will stands in the middle of what feels like Hannibal’s old office, yet the setting appears to be a distant memory.

 

His mind is still dreaming.

 

He thinks of Abigail to ground himself. Her voice seems so close, yet faraway.

 

_We don’t have an ending. He didn’t give us one yet._

Will closes his eyes, as if the act helps him hear…or understand Abigail better.

_If everything that happens, happens…then you can never really do the wrong thing. You’re just doing what you’re supposed to._

Will’s mind turns back to the memory of him helping Hannibal burn his archived notes here in this office. A time before severe damage was inflicted on both men. He invested so much trust in the older man. He truly believed that Hannibal was there to help him work through his mental anguish. But maybe the way Hannibal proceeds to destroy Will’s psyche and rebuild it is the doctor’s version of “helping”? It's difficult for Will to grapple with the way in which Hannibal went about his work. Will knows what Hannibal is truly capable of, but that doesn’t push him away.

 

Does anyone else know what Hannibal is capable of? Is there anyone who knows Hannibal like Will knows him?

 

_…then you can never really do the wrong thing. You’re just doing what you’re supposed to._

 

Will can’t help but bask in thought the way he had felt when he was with Hannibal at that memory in his office.

 

_This is a precious memory._

 

He remembers the way Hannibal had looked at him as the older man described his memory palace set in Palermo. Hannibal’s dark round eyes twinkling from the light given of from the fire place as years of former patient observations and diagnoses burned into embers.

 

Watching the dream sequence, Will sees how he had felt close to Hannibal. However, at that time, it didn’t feel “sexual”. In retrospect, Will's past self, before Hannibal thrust a knife into him, had thought 'being' close to Hannibal must have been a warm feeling brought on by sharing a moment with a like-minded soul, someone who understood you to the fullest.

 

It will not be until much later, further into the future, until Will truly begins to cherish the sexual feeling he had felt when talking to Hannibal in the older man's office. And it will be a while till Will fully accepts it for what it was.

 

Will's past self had never given thought to his sexuality. He had assumed, traditionally, that he was a heterosexual male. Although few, Will had had sexual relationships with only women in the past. But that day, in his memory palace shaped in the form of Hannibal’s office, he felt something he had not experienced with another man. But the feeling alluded him at the time. He couldn’t place it.

 

…But does this other man feel the same toward him?

 

Hannibal can have anyone. Alana had been with him and seemed to enjoy him more than Will…well…that was before she knew what Hannibal was capable of.

 

_Wait. What am I saying? I can’t have feelings for Hannibal. He tried to murder me and my colleagues…my friends…_

Will decides in this memory that what he felt was due to the emotional trauma of being subjected to the whims and control of Hannibal and concluded, based on this unbalanced force of power, that he had developed an unhealthy emotional attachment to someone who _understood_ him like no other. This man was a serial killer and a _cannibal_.

 

…But…Will empathizes with this societal degenerate. 

 

_No. He’s not a degenerate. He’s only perceived this way based on this world’s rules. And he tried to open my eyes to the possibilities beyond this current life._

_…I feel what Hannibal feels…_

As the memory dissolves, Will is left standing in the office alone with notes littering Hannibal’s office floor.

 

_I miss this memory…_

A phantom in the shape of Abigail appears next to Will. It is a soothing aberration of a continuum of mixed emotions and lingering thoughts.

 

_I do feel closer to Hannibal here. God only knows where I would be without him._

The phantom looks kindly at Will.

 

_He misses us._

Will stares off into corners of nothingness.

_…What if no one died? What if we all left together like we were supposed to…. where would we have gone?_

_In some other world._

 

* * *

 

Will awoke with a force akin to experiencing a nightmare, but the memories in his dreams were not like his regular nightmares. The jolt to wakefulness must had been attributed to the intensity of what the memories represented: his relationship with Abigail and Hannibal. Abigail’s phantom seemed wise beyond the real Abigail’s years (although if you consider it, the phantom was a technically a projection of Will’s innermost thoughts).

 

The dream sequence hinted at something that bothered Will greatly: Will’s sexuality. That seemed to be the most jarring and the most likely cause of his body propelling his mind back into reality. His sexuality appeared to be define by Abigail’s ‘some other world’: a world in which Will didn’t question himself and _ran away_ with Hannibal. He possibly could have saved Abigail if he had accepted his identity.

 

However…he wasn’t sure what that exactly looked like. He had a strong attraction to Hannibal as would a moth to a flame and before now, hadn’t labeled it as _sexual_. Will couldn’t deny how he felt, but he wasn’t sure how to place it. His mind hadn’t crossed over as it would post-Fall. He was still stuck in a world where Hannibal was a murderous psychopath who tried to kill everyone close to the younger man. Even Will himself.

 

He felt the pain in his side from where Hannibal left his latest mark of power over Will. He at first touched the wounded area with a light caress, thinking of Hannibal’s gaze before feelings of mistrust surfaced. Will’s own trust issues began to cloud his mind. Warm feelings counteracted these issues as he thought affectionately of Hannibal and his office, Will’s memory place. Will imagined the light caress on his aching body to be the caress of Hannibal’s. He imagined Hannibal sitting next to his hospital bed, concerned for his health, but grateful he was alive. Will looked at the phantom of Hannibal next to his bed, soothing him as he gazed into his eyes. Hannibal looked at Will the way he had in the former’s kitchen that night. Will held onto that short gaze has his hand moved to his hardening, aching cock…

 

_Stop!_

 

Will laid in his hospital bed staring at the ceiling, panting. He waited silently for the next act. He couldn’t go back to sleep…he was afraid his mind might drift again.

 

But to where?

 

* * *

 

_8 months later..._

 

It took a while for Will to finally recover enough to be mobile on his own.

 

Will wasn’t sure where exactly Hannibal was. Bedelia had been missing and Jack concluded that she either went with Hannibal willingly or she was forced. Either way, she was with Hannibal and Will was not.

 

Jack was struggling with his own demons. Bella had passed.

 

It took a while for Jack, as well, to recover not only from his injuries sustained in Hannibal’s kitchen, but also from the shock of losing his love. Although not the same, since Hannibal was presumed alive (and Will couldn’t admit his feelings quite yet), Will felt a similar lost. His body wanted to feel this way, although his mind still fought back the urge.

 

After the funeral, Will found Jack in the sanctuary, holding what looked to be a note. His wife, Bella, lay motionless in her coffin, her beauty frozen in time. After Jack spoke his peace and alluded to getting back at Hannibal, he handed Will the note that was placed with flowers at Bella’s coffin.

 

Jack looked visibly disturbed by the note. It was from Hannibal: condolences for his lost. Jack felt anger at his foolishness for believing and trusting Hannibal. He rushed out of the sanctuary, leaving Will holding the note next to Bella’s coffin.

 

Will took his time reading the note. It was unmistakably Hannibal’s doing. The note wasn’t signed, but the weight of the paper and the style of the handwriting was all Hannibal. He thought of how Hannibal took his time writing the note, very much the same way Hannibal took his time in crafting his dinner invitations. The line weights sitting on the paper were mesmerizing. Will stared for a few moments at the note in his hand.

 

_Hannibal had held this._

 

Will accidentally let his mind drift again back to the feeling of Hannibal’s hand on his face and the warmth he felt. He thought about the way Hannibal had looked at him. It looked as if Hannibal wanted him right then and there.

 

_Will you forgive me?_

 

Will thought about whether he could. Maybe someday…the stabbing didn’t help. He did, however, feel that there was a possibility of forgiveness between the two men. They had been so close to each other. No matter what the previous damage had done, Will couldn’t help but feel that he may lose someone close to him if he didn’t at least seek Hannibal out. He had to see Hannibal again to make sense of the situation.

 

He wondered if Hannibal thought of him. He wondered if Hannibal knew that Will would see this note written to Jack.

 

Of course, he knew. Hannibal was very deliberate with his actions.

 

_...why Bedelia...?_

 

Will knew why…she was the only one of the people currently close to Hannibal who knew the man’s true character. But was she repulsed by it? Will thought that Hannibal must have picked her as a substitute to being with him and Abigail. That could only be the reason why he would take her with him.

 

Will wondered if Hannibal discussed him with Bedelia while they were on the run. He wondered if she brought him up or if Hannibal did and whether she was angry, jealous, or indifferent to Will’s mentioning.

 

Will hated himself for caring so much. Hannibal tried to kill him and that was that. He shouldn’t feel this way toward a psychopath, but his body said and wanted differently. He tried to rationalize the feeling in his dreams, but the solution seemed too contrived.

 

Maybe he did have feelings for Hannibal?

 

Only seeing Hannibal in person would rectify this situation…hopefully.

 

Will decided after reading the note that he must act quickly. He couldn’t wait any longer; his mind watching on the sidelines the back and forth between Hannibal and himself. He decided he must leave before agents were sent to track down Hannibal. 

He thought of his memory palace and figured where he could find Hannibal.

 

* * *

 

_The next morning..._

 

It was nicely overcast in the early morning the next day, as Will prepared himself to locate Hannibal’s whereabouts. The landscape sat in all its glorious beauty, waiting to be admired. Virginia always looked so lovely during this season, although it was extremely cold. Nature itself posing, waiting to be photographed and treasured later.

 

The weather was unforgiving, but Will had readied himself for this aspect of his trip thoroughly.

 

Will untied the rope to his boat and set sail. The winter chill cut through his body, but taking undetectable modes of transportation would allow him to reach Hannibal before Jack and Alana even knew he was gone. Will settled himself in a comfortable warm spot in the boat, after steering the vessel in the direction he wanted to go. He had so much time before reaching Palermo to think about his relationship with Hannibal.

 

Hannibal was such a mystery to him. And it seemed that this new post-kitchen-stab self was a mystery as well. Will thought about the note Hannibal had written to Jack and how it may had been written subtly to himself as well. He couldn’t grasp the sensation of how he would feel once he saw Hannibal again. It had been so long and Will constantly thought of him.

 

…but Will hadn’t crossed over into the darkness quite yet. His feelings were still hanging on the precipice of longing to be with Hannibal. Unconsciously, his mind was reeling to submit to the emotions of his body. One act of union would push Will over the edge, but could he handle it?

_I wonder if he looks the same…_

 

He must. Hannibal was cautious enough to go as far away as possible and Will was sure, internationally, Hannibal wasn’t recognizable. Although, he knew Hannibal had been “Hannibal” for a long while. How did he manage to survive so long and without help?

 

Or maybe he did have help all those years, but no one measured up long enough to be a permanent fixture in Hannibal’s life. Hannibal was very particular with his companions.

 

Hannibal had had prospects in the past, such as Tobias Budge, but none, like Tobias, were quite right. Tobias had appeared when Hannibal started to admit out loud that he cared for Will and considered him to be a friend. Only Bedelia had known this.

 

Will was unaware of this exchange, but was sure that Hannibal chose his partners wisely. And he wanted to choose Will, but the younger man had refused.

 

_If I had gone with Hannibal…where would we have gone to?_

_In some other world._

Will closed his eyes as he remembered what his feelings revealed to him in the form of Abigail’s phantom. Only another world would be able to sustain a relationship between Hannibal and himself.

 

Will shuddered as his mind reeled with worldly possibilities.

 

…and as his body ached for the possibilities with Hannibal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Three: Envious…
> 
> Back to the present with Hannibal and Will living in their temporary safe house. Will still avoids Hannibal. They had been through way too much together to turn back now, but was Hannibal using this to manipulate him even further? He had done so to Bedelia when they hid in Florence. But their relationship was a sham. She was afraid of him and didn’t fully appreciate or know what Hannibal was truly capable of. Will had experienced it, but didn’t recoil. No, the exact opposite. Hannibal excited him, yet the excitement still scared him.
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com
> 
> Side note: Please let me know how this is going. Sometimes I'm a one tracked mind and miss things that other people might find important to the story. All input is welcomed :)


	3. Envious...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the present with Hannibal and Will living in their temporary safe house. Will still avoids Hannibal. They had been through way too much together to turn back now, but was Hannibal using this to manipulate him even further? He had done so to Bedelia when they hid in Florence. But their relationship was a sham. She was afraid of him and didn’t fully appreciate or know what Hannibal was truly capable of. Will had experienced it, but didn’t recoil. No, the exact opposite. Hannibal excited him, yet the excitement still scared him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading :) I would not be here writing, pouring my heart out over Hannigram if I did not have other Hannigram fans who could relate to me.

_Back to the Present_

 

Hannibal made his way out of a gray medium sized house on a block occupied by better looking historic houses.

 

 _Such poor taste, what a shame…_ Hannibal thought to himself as he adjusted his sleeve. The house he walked out of was a postmodern square box; it could not compete aesthetically with the rest of the other structures. The owner clearly had no appreciation for Architecture.

 

Hannibal pulled out a burner phone and dialed a number.

 

“I’m finished.” He said at once when the phone clicked. A second later, a car whizzed by in front of the house and stop a few feet in front of Hannibal. Hannibal walked to the car, opened the door, and slid in. Chiyoh was in the driver seat. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

 

“How is he?” Chiyoh inquired.

 

“He’s sleeping. I expect he’ll be awake in the morning.” Hannibal responded.

 

The car whizzed off into the darkness.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal let Will sleep till he could wake himself on his own. The younger man had been asleep for about ten hours now since his outburst in the common area. He knew Will needed his strength to keep moving quickly and efficiently, so he chose not to bother him.

 

Also, he feared that too quick of an arousal would catch Will off guard again, leading them into another one-person shouting match.

 

Hannibal occupied his time waiting for Will to snap back to reality by preparing their next moves. It had been a few days since the Fall, and they only had maybe a day or two left at the most before the FBI started to look toward the direction of this temporary hideout.

 

This current “hideout” was a spacious cabin owned by Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery. The Montgomerys were an elderly couple who once used the cabin twice out of the year to escape the city. With their children grown, gone, and occupied with their own families, the Montgomerys, along with old age, couldn’t keep up their regular treks to their family cabin. Thus, the cabin sat empty for long stretches of time. Hannibal had kept a watchful eye over the comings and goings of anyone associated with the cabin, and knew that the residence would be free during this time of year. The cabin was not easy to find; Mrs. Montgomery was a famous photographer who wanted to live outside of the public eye in her old age. The cabin was far away from any main road, and located in a heavily wooded area.

 

They needed to keep moving, however, to evade Jack, who would stop at nothing till he either found Hannibal and Will alive or their bodies.

 

The Montgomerys had fully furnished the cabin as well, perhaps a reflection of their interior taste back in the city. Real hardwood flooring, fringed décor, marble counters, etc. The couple’s cabin was also home to a grand piano. Although it was not as enticing as the harpsichord that once belonged in his old home, Hannibal enjoyed following original compositions he had transcribed for use on the piano.

 

It soothed him to play. The comfort of familiarity in playing an instrument helped Hannibal to see clearly through this situation. It calmed him, so he could be calm for Will. It was strange that someone could affect him so drastically. Will had done just that.

 

_Do you believe you could change me, the way that I’ve changed you?_

_I already did._

 

Hannibal would do anything to keep Will close, even if meant only having his distant presence…and not his alluring flesh.

 

Hannibal stopped playing and stared out into distance spaces. He could see half of the kitchen from the hallway outside of the common area entrance.

 

It was strange to think about his feelings for Will. Well, it wasn’t strange, these feelings were _different_. They had been genuine when Hannibal had wanted Will to run away with him…and even long before.

 

His “escape” from the FBI right before the Fall had been more than a coincidence. Hannibal knew that for sure, without having to discuss it with Will. Also, Will had called him the night Hannibal had stabbed the younger man and killed Abigail. He could sense in Will’s voice that he wanted to be with Hannibal, someplace far from here. Yet, Will betrayed him.

 

It was different this time.

 

This time Will and Hannibal had killed together and stayed together. Their connection was so great that Hannibal knew Will wanted him to escape as the FBI used the former to draw Dolarhyde out of the shadows. The undertones were too great not to miss. They had also, by that point, already consumed human flesh together: Randall Tier’s.

 

It was only a matter of time before Will would accept his darkness fully.

 

Hannibal made his way to the kitchen. It was early afternoon and he thought a light brunch would be easy for Will to handle if he woke up in time to eat.

 

* * *

 

_Crack. Sizzle._

Hannibal moved effortlessly around the Montgomery’s barely used kitchen. He glided across the granite tiled floor in house slippers. Hannibal’s light feet carried him from the refrigerator, to the stove, to the sink, to a cutting board, back to the stove, and so on and so on.

 

As he prepared brunch, Hannibal’s mind became pre-occupied with a conversation he had had once with Alana before he seduced her to seduce Will.

 

Hannibal had only used Alana to get close to Will. Whenever Alana touched or caressed Hannibal’s body, he tricked his mind into thinking it was Will who laid next to him. Any act of penetration was only brought to orgasmic completion thinking of fucking Will instead of Alana.

His mind flashed to a scene in his old kitchen, with Alana and himself preparing dishes for an upcoming party. They had discussed how Hannibal was dealing with the aftermath of his run in with Matthew Brown.  

 

_My heart certainly feels skewered._

 

Hannibal had been thinking of Will when he admitted this. Will had tried to murder him through proxy. It was alarming, yet intriguing. It signified Will’s darkness, but at Hannibal’s expense.

 

Hannibal had suffered nightmares from that episode, which was extremely unusual for him. Occasionally, he would see his feet dancing on the bucket that swayed from side to side, threatening a death by self-hanging, with Matthew Brown chuckling in the distance.

 

He would wake up in a cold sweat not believing what Will had done to him, until reality hit him. But of course, Hannibal had retaliated by sending Randall Tier.

 

The past was behind them. Hannibal believed that neither of the two men would hurt the other like they had done before. There was too much at stake. Their bond was solidified and no one would ever understand nor break that bond.

 

Suddenly, Hannibal’s breath hitched as he felt a presence behind his back. He instinctively looked for a tool to defend himself, snapping back to reality when he realized it was Will who had entered the kitchen. Hannibal had memorized the pattern and lightness of his companion’s gait. This would be extremely helpful when they commenced hunting together.

 

Hannibal drew in another breath as the footsteps stop circling him in the kitchen. He slowly turned around to face Will. For some reason his heart was beating faster than it normally did and he found it a little difficult to stay calm. This was mostly because Will was awake, but also this was the first time Will was fully awake for them to discuss their predicament.

 

Only the sound of both men breathing filled the air for what felt like an eternity.

 

Although across the room, Will tilted his head up to look at Hannibal, the same way he had done when he was left dying on Hannibal’s kitchen floor.

 

“You should have let me die… _us_ die…”

 

Hannibal appeared, for the first time in their relationship, to struggle with an adequate response, but Will didn’t wait. It was electrifying and jarring the way Will cracked holes through his persona.

 

“We can’t live like this. It’s not sustainable.”

 

Hannibal had been clinching the counter behind him while Will was speaking. The act was all Hannibal could do to stop himself from approaching Will and further sending the latter into another outburst that would inevitably lead to further distance between the two.  

 

“I don’t see any happy ending to this, Hannibal.”

 

Will noticed that Hannibal was clinching the counter.

 

“…I’m not going to freak out again…I promise, Hannibal. I’m trying to resolve my feelings and concerns.”

 

Will looked into Hannibal’s eyes and Hannibal looked back. He could see in the younger man’s gaze that he was truly sincere about keeping control of himself. Hannibal let go of the counter and thought maybe Will would allow him to approach him, perhaps touch him.

 

“I’ve lived like this my entire life, Will.”

 

Will side stepped a few feet to the other side of the kitchen. Hannibal could sense that Will did not feel entirely safe…but not because of Hannibal.

 

The shock of killing someone with Hannibal had scared Will in the aftermath of the situation. Will had wanted to die, not fully seeing, let alone not fully _accepting_ , his true potential. Hannibal knew, however, from the way Will had embraced him before the Fall, that his companion had finally felt like _himself_ , albeit fearful of his capability. This eased Hannibal. He knew Will wanted to embrace his darkness, his true nature, but was unsure how to. So, recognizing Will’s hesitation in accepting his identity helped Hannibal to gauge his approach with handling Will’s psyche. He would not frighten him anymore; just gently lead him into the darkness. 

 

Hannibal thought back to when he first embraced his own darkness. He assumed it might have been easy for him at first since he was a lot younger and more malleable then. Will benefited, though, with his christening experience, from having someone who could help him see who he genuinely was.

 

Hannibal took a chance and stepped toward Will with his hand out, not entirely sure what the gesture would be perceived as. Will stood stoically in place like a marble statue.

 

“I need more time…Hannibal…” He finally let out with his head hanging.

 

Hannibal stopped walking toward him and let Will rush passed him out of the kitchen to his room. 

 

Hannibal stood in the kitchen with his arm dangling loosely next to his body from the rejection.

 

He thought to follow Will. But their conservation revealed that the younger man was still not ready to accept his fate.

 

_Be patient, Hannibal._

 

* * *

 

_No one could be fully aware of another human being, unless we love them._

_By that love, we see potential in our beloved._

_Through that love, we allow our beloved to see their potential._

_Expressing that love, our beloved’s potential comes true._

 

Will stands still in the middle of a river. His mind is focused on fishing, but instead of seeing a fishing pole when he looks down at his hands, he sees blood dripping from his fingers and slowly hitting the water. The body of Francis Dolarhyde floats passed him. Well, at least, Will thinks it’s Dolarhyde. The face is strangely smeared as if the identity were blurred to protect someone from danger. Four more bodies float by. A woman and a little boy. Will twists his face as he realizes who they are.

 

_Molly…? Walter…?_

 

The body of a young woman and a slighter older woman float near the mother and the son. Will thinks they may be Abigail and Beverly respectively, but again, he is not sure since their faces are smeared as well.

 

He watches the bodies slowly float down the river. A hand rests on Will’s right shoulder and lightly squeezes. The feeling is intense. Will turns around to greet his partner in murder. The wendigo looks down gradually at him and nods in approval.

 

Suddenly Will’s eyes start to bleed blood. It’s black like arterial blood pumping quickly out of his body. He doesn’t scream or hold his face. He lets the wendigo submerge him in the river as the blood washes away. Will opens his eyes underwater and only black round shiny opals are left staring back at the wendigo.

 

Will woke up and lurched forward violently while holding his head. Tears streamed down his face at the thought of his current situation. He had abandoned his family and embraced his demons with Hannibal. But the murderous episode was thrilling and it felt…right.

 

He looked at his right hand, which still, of course, brandished his wedding band on his ring finger.

 

_Fuck._

Hannibal hadn’t removed the ring when he tended to his wounds. But, why would he? That didn’t make any sense and it wasn’t his place to do so.

 

_Oh Molly…I’m so sorry…_

_…Walter…_

Will closed his eyes. He took his wedding band off and put it in a drawer in the night stand next to his bed. That was the end of that for Will…until later.

 

Will knew is life with Molly and Walter was over. They had been replacements for a life with Hannibal. Will winced at the fact that he had used them the way that he had. When Molly caressed him as they laid in bed at night, Will tricked his mind into thinking it was Hannibal caressing his body.

_I have to deal with you and my feelings about you. I think that’s best if I do that directly._

Will thought back to when he returned to his standing appointment hour with Hannibal after Frederick Chilton was mistaken for the Chesapeake Ripper. He admitted his inner turmoil to Hannibal that night.

 

_I’ve changed. You’ve changed me._

Before the Fall, Will had decided to continue his therapy appointments with Hannibal. He remembered back to one appointment in which Hannibal asked Will if he still had the urge to kill him.

 

_I don’t want to kill you anymore, Doctor Lecter…now that I found you interesting._

Will accepted that he was interested in Hannibal then. He truly didn’t feel the urge to kill Hannibal anymore. The Fall incident was different, however. The murderous act had been too great for them to continue a life after…or was it?

 

_I’ve lived like this my entire life, Will._

Hannibal knew what he was doing. He _always_ knew what he was doing.

 

Will knew what lay before him if he didn’t trust Hannibal. He would lose him.

 

 _…I’m alone in that darkness._ Will remembers himself saying to Hannibal, in a distant memory.

 

_You’re not alone, Will. I’m standing right beside you._

 

* * *

Hannibal hadn’t expected Will for dinner after the younger man had not accepted his offer for brunch earlier in the day.

 

Hannibal had known Will went back to sleep for a few more hours. He checked his companion’s wounds and left a glass of water on the night stand with some more medication an hour after the exchange in the kitchen. Will was soundly asleep and looked peaceful.

 

Will walked slowly into the kitchen with his hands by his side. He sat down at the side of the table with a place mat clearly set out for him.

 

Hannibal turned around and didn’t appear surprised to see Will sitting at the table. Inwardly, he was relieved to see him up and calm. Hannibal prepared another plate and carried both plates to the table. He placed Will’s in front of him then set down his own. He kept silent as he filled Will’s wine glass first with a bottle of Beaujolais he had procured from the Montgomerys’ pantry. Hannibal filled his own glass then sat down.

 

The two men said nothing as they proceeded to eat the dinner Hannibal had prepared: Bass rayée with sauce hollandaise. Hannibal had also raided the Montgomerys’ ice chest and found supplies left for a pending visit from the elderly couple if they managed to make it to the cabin this year. He found a few ingredients and made do with what was left for dinner.

 

Will had so many things to say and ask Hannibal, but he settled on the most pressing: Bedelia.

 

_What was it about her?_

Hannibal could walk into any room with Bedelia and people wouldn’t pay them any mind. In fact, observers would most likely gush over the pairing.

 

When Jack and Will had found Bedelia in the apartment she shared with Hannibal in Florence, she was visibly under the influence of some sort of drug. The woman kept trying to convince them that she and Hannibal were the murdered couple, Dr. Roman and Mrs. Lydia Fell. Will was irritated by the spectacle put on by Bedelia, he knew she was trying to convince them of her non-complicity in Hannibal's doings. Will didn't believe her and the sight angered him even more.  

 

He wanted to be close to Hannibal, they had been through way too much together to turn back now, but was Hannibal using this to manipulate him even further? He had done so to Bedelia. But their relationship was a sham. She was afraid of him and didn’t fully appreciate or know what Hannibal was truly capable of. Will had experienced Hannibal’s true nature and desired to embrace it. Hannibal both excited and scared him, but he didn’t feel like escaping. He didn’t want to leave Hannibal. To get to the crux of it, Will had just been envious of being replaced by Bedelia.

 

_Did he love her back then, like he had loved me?_

 

Will found the courage to speak.

 

“…did you love her?” Will stumbled over his words as he avoided eye contact with Hannibal. Will pushed the bass around with his knife. He was amazed that Hannibal could find the time and stay relax enough to make them dinner every single night. But then again, this is what Hannibal does. Will struggled to comprehend the world he staggered into.

 

Hannibal knew who Will was referring to. He finished chewing a bite and washed it down with a swish of the Beaujolais.

 

“No.” Hannibal answered. The length of time taken to respond did not suggest otherwise. The answer came more as a matter of fact.

 

It still startled Will, however.

 

“That’s it?”

 

“Of what?” Hannibal knew what Will meant, but he really didn’t want to dwell on the issue. It was the past. How could he get Will to accept crossing to the other side if they talked about who had been with whom.

 

“Don’t…don’t do that, Hannibal.”

 

“I really don’t know what else to say, Will. It’s in the past. I never loved Bedelia…you already knew that.”

 

Will hunched forward with his body parallel to the table, interlocking his fingers.

 

“Hannibal…I need to know what happened between you two for me to move on…”

 

Hannibal accepted Will’s inquiry. Although he wanted to move forward with Will at his side exploring the latter’s own realm of darkness, He understood that he needed to be open with Will for the younger man to accept him.

 

“What would you like to know?” Hannibal said calmly.

 

Will took in a deep breath. “Did you fuck her?”

 

Silence. Hannibal thought over what he was about to say to Will.

 

“Yes.” Hannibal never took his eyes off Will.

 

Will could barely control his anger. He wished he hadn’t asked. Hannibal was so calm about this. Will had figured before when the FBI knew Bedelia was missing and presumed to be taken hostage by Hannibal that the two “played” couple to shield Hannibal from suspicion. But, in private the charade had to be over. Apparently, it wasn’t.

 

“So…from what I understand…from Bedelia, actually…is that you had loved me long before you left the states.” Will said slowly, keeping his fingers interlocked.

 

 Hannibal said nothing. He waited patiently for Will to continue.

 

“…and you fucked her even though you loved me…love me…on an extended rebound because you didn’t get your way.” Will seethed through the anger rising in his core.

 

Hannibal continued to stay quiet.

 

“…is that more or less correct?” Will finally looked straight at Hannibal. Hannibal could see the anger clouding the younger man’s piercing gaze.

 

Hannibal waited before he responded. He removed his napkin from his lap and placed it on the table. “…yes…more or less.”

 

Will shot up from his chair. “Fuck you, Hannibal.”

 

Will started to rush out toward the hallway to quickly exit the kitchen, but a hand caught his arm firmly and at the same time, gently. Will wanted to jerk his arm away from Hannibal, but he had longed for Hannibal’s touch.

 

“…Bedelia meant nothing to me and never will. I needed her to comply with my motives to preserve my persona…I would never ruin our relationship with infidelity. You mean too much to me.”

 

Hannibal wrapped his other arm around Will’s body.

 

“…Will, trust me when I say that I will never stray away from you…

 

Will turned his head to face Hannibal. Their union post-Fall had become the extension of a romance of sorts. Their body language mirrored the embrace on the cliff before the Fall. Will moved closer to Hannibal and Hannibal accepted the act with baited breath.

 

“…I know Hannibal.”

 

“…would you do the same for me, Will?”

 

Will looked at Hannibal with watery eyes, taking his time to answer back. “…of course…”

 

The two men had moved closer to each other in the embrace, almost brushing lips the way they had on that cliff. Will’s body warmed from the excitement. Hannibal could feel a rising not only in his body, but down below, anxiously waiting for Will’s next move.

 

“Will, I have a proposition, if you choose to accept.”

 

“What would that be, Hannibal?”

 

Hannibal tilted his head, brushing Will’s cheek with his lips before he whispered.

 

“A therapy kill. Our relationship needs it.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Four: Desired.
> 
> “Antipasto” and “Primavera” Revisited
> 
> Flashback chapter to events in Florence, focusing on the relationship between Hannibal and Bedelia. We learn through this dynamic that Hannibal is in love with Will has regretted replacing him with Bedelia. However, he must use her in order to preserve his new identity.
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	4. Desired.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Antipasto” and “Primavera” Revisited
> 
> Flashback chapter to events in Florence, focusing on the relationship between Hannibal and Bedelia. We learn through this dynamic that Hannibal is in love with Will has regretted replacing him with Bedelia. However, he must use her in order to preserve his new identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading :) I would not be here writing, pouring my heart out over Hannigram if I did not have other Hannigram fans who could relate to me.

_“Antipasto” and “Primavera” Revisited_

 

_About four years ago..._

 

Bedelia felt a strange presence as she walked into her house. Something was off.

 

She cautiously made her way into her parlor room…where she had spent hours listening to Hannibal talk about Will Graham...and poured herself something to drink from her mini bar to calm her nerves.

 

She knew Hannibal was in her home. Waiting for her.

 

She heard her shower running.

 

Bedelia pulled out a gun from her purse, but didn’t set her drink down on the table. She walked slowly up the stairs and toward her master bedroom. The door was open. He wanted her to find him. She took her time walking into the master bedroom, cognitive of any potential danger.

 

The door to the bathroom was wide open and she could see a naked Hannibal standing in the shower.

 

Bedelia held the gun out, and aimed at the shower.

 

She hesitated.

 

Bedelia decided it would be easier to wait for Hannibal to come out into the bedroom and try to dispatch with him there. She sat on the bed and waited quietly for him to emerge from the bathroom.

 

After a few moments, Hannibal got out of the shower, grabbed a towel and headed for the space between the bathroom and the bedroom, where Bedelia’s closet was located. He heard a gun cock as he dried his face.

 

“May I get dressed?” Hannibal asked, unfazed.

 

“You may.” Bedelia said with a curt little smile, aiming her gun at Hannibal. Inwardly, she struggled to hold together her composure as Hannibal uncovered himself with his towel, exposing his naked body to her. He proceeded to get dressed in front of Bedelia.

 

“What have you done, Hannibal?” Fully expecting to hear that he had left a trail of bodies that would led the FBI to her house.

 

“I’ve taken off my person suit.” Hannibal curtly avoided direct contact, but not because he was ashamed of what he had done. He was a little annoyed by the provocation.

 

“You let them see you.”

 

“I let them see enough.” Hannibal said slowly, reaching for his pants.

 

“How does it feel…being seen?”

 

Hannibal was amused. “Well, you’re in no position to ask, Dr. Du Maurier. You ended our patient-psychiatrist relationship.”

 

“I lacked the appropriate skills to continue your therapy.”

 

“I never found you to be lacking.” Hannibal replied with a slight smile while he put on a button-down dress shirt.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t provide you with a suitable substitute for therapy.” Bedelia said with caution.

 

Silence ensued as Bedelia watched Hannibal button his shirt.

 

“Is Will Graham still alive?” Bedelia asked.

 

“Will Graham was not a suitable substitute for therapy.” Hannibal thought of Will lying in his kitchen, waiting for death. He had forgiven him, but he was still upset that the younger man had not accepted his invitation to run away with him. It annoyed him that he had to relent to Bedelia being a replacement for Will.

 

“What was he?” Bedelia inquired.

 

Hannibal turned to look at Bedelia, knowing what she was insinuating. “Is this professional curiosity?”

 

“Almost entirely.”

 

Hannibal took a few steps toward Bedelia. “Do you trust me?”

 

“...not entirely.” Bedelia admitted.

 

“Are you taking in consideration my beliefs about your intentions?”

 

“My intentions?” Bedelia was puzzled.

 

“Human motivation can be little more than lucid greed.” Hannibal gave Bedelia a piercing stare. She could see his darkness, but did not fully understand it or appreciate it. Hannibal’s eyes were dark and appeared lifeless. Only a hint of gleam shone in his eyes from the moon light outside.

 

“Greed…and blind optimism.” Bedelia replied, still holding the gun.

 

“...you’re optimistic I won’t kill you.” Hannibal smirked.

 

Bedelia uncocked the gun in her hand and set it down on the bed. Hannibal turned around and made his way back to the bathroom. Bedelia sat on the bed and took a sip from her glass and smiled, albeit a little. She had been saved, so she thought anyway, from whatever had happened to Will Graham. She figured it was best for her to comply and do whatever Hannibal asked of her. Hannibal could see her drive and was drawn to her as well. That would only explain why he came to her before leaving the states.

 

Hannibal, also knew about the incident with Bedelia’s patient. He experienced what he thought was a fraction of her capability and meant to cultivate it much like he had tried to do with past accomplices...what he _attempted_ to do with Will Graham.

 

Bedelia’s mind drifted back to that day in her office, when her patient died.

 

Her patient lying on the floor…her arm covered in his blood. She was frightened by what she had done, yet smitten. She could still feel the insides of the patient charged to her care, wrapped around her arm and oozing with fluids that stained her white satin blouse. Hannibal had been watching her from the outside of her office, pleased with what he had discovered.

 

 _Will you help me?”_ She remembered saying to Hannibal later that night, as he helped her clean up the mess and told her that he could make the situation go away.

 

_I owe Hannibal my life. I was not quite seasoned to develop my own habits of hunting..._

 

* * *

 

_Later that night at the airport…_

  

Hannibal handed Bedelia her papers before they entered the airport. She attentively took her passport and peered at her new identity. _Lydia Fell._

 

“Lydia Fell…and what is your new identity, Hannibal?”

 

“Roman Fell.” He replied with a slight grin.

 

“I presumed we are married.” Bedelia said back as they made their way toward the ticket counter. Hannibal purchased their tickets and handed Bedelia hers. She stared at it for a second, hesitating a little. She realized the gravity of the situation, but could not bring herself to turn away. She was willing to stand on the edge of her own becoming, and fleeing to Florence with Hannibal would be her next act of complete submission to a life she briefly tasted.

 

“Yes. I thought it would be fitting.” Hannibal guided Bedelia to the security line.

 

Bedelia knew, from the way Hannibal had looked at her, that their identities had been stolen from living people. However, she wasn’t entirely sure if the real Dr. and Mrs. Fell were still alive.

 

* * *

 

  _Flashback a_ _month before events of_ _Mizumono (about one month before Hannibal fled the country)…_

_On occasion, dissection is the only thing that will do._

In the city center of Paris, Hannibal waited outside a building for Roman Fell to leave a fête. Dr. Roman Fell was the curator of the Capponi Library in Florence. His credentials were outstanding, but his private life was relatively secret.

 

“Bonsoir.” Hannibal said cheerily to Fell as the older gentleman walked passed his motorcycle.

 

Fell was a bit startled by the provocation because he did not recognize Hannibal, but answered back anyway.

 

“Bonsoir.”

 

Hannibal lingered on the street, then followed Fell on his motorcycle while Fell drove back to his residence.

 

_About an hour later…_

Fell found Hannibal waiting for him outside of his house, perched against his motorcycle.

 

“Bonsoir…” Fell said slowly. He had recognized Hannibal as the friendly motorist back outside the fête.

 

“Bonsoir.” Hannibal answered back.

 

_Two hours later…_

 

A woman arrived in Fell’s home with a smile brought on by the intoxicating smells being produced from the kitchen. She walked through the parlor to the dining room area only to find Hannibal, not Fell, eating at the table. She stared at Hannibal, frighten in her tracks.

 

Hannibal looked up from his meal. He looked positively please with himself, enjoying a bit of Fell’s liver.

 

“Bonsoir.” He said to the woman.

 

* * *

 

_Months later...after a department soirée…_

 

“Have you given serious thought to eating Professor Sogliato?” Bedelia inquired. She let the warming water slipped through her fingers as she sat on the edge of the tub.

 

They had just returned home from a departmental gathering, at which Hannibal was provoked by a colleague, Professor Sogliato. Bedelia was convinced that Hannibal would kill Sogliato for trying to publicly make Hannibal look foolish.

 

Hannibal turned around at the base of the door, took a step closer and stopped.

 

“My killing Sogliato now would not preserve the peace.” Hannibal concluded.

 

Bedelia turned off the faucet when the water reached the desired level.

 

“Your peace is without morality.” She boldly retorted.

 

“Morality doesn’t exist. Only morale.” Hannibal mused.

 

“How do you feel today?” Bedelia asked, changing the subject. Her psychiatrist voice was still evident in their relationship and she found it difficult to turn it off in front of Hannibal. She was like a moth drawn to a flame, but the heat was greater than she expected and it began to frighten her.

 

“How do _you_ feel today?” Hannibal replied, watching her gaze out toward nothing.

 

Bedelia paused a moment before she responded.

 

“...I still believe I am in conscious control of my actions...given your history…that’s a good day.” Bedelia admitted.

 

It was all Bedelia could manage. She would not consent to feeling defeated, not yet, but she couldn’t run and she couldn’t stay. Her predicament was grave. Hannibal had truly manipulated her into acting as a willing accomplice and she resented him for it. She would not, however, let him see it through her facade, even though she was sure he could sense it.

 

She had been quietly preparing for an escape plan, when the authorities would inevitably come to their door, looking for answers to her complicity. She knew that the only way out of this situation would to appear "drugged" and helpless. She knew that would be the only story that the authorities would believe considering her usually character. She also found it easy to distract Hannibal into obsessing over his feelings for Will Graham. However, at the moment, she felt she needed to bide her time. Soon Hannibal would only _think_ that he was manipulating her.  

 

Hannibal and Bedelia had been intimate one (and the last) time since they arrived in Florence. It was consensual from both parties, yet afterwards Bedelia felt like a hostage. She knew, from their conversations, that Hannibal was still in love with Will Graham. She knew she was only a physical replacement for the younger man. A _temporary_ replacement. Hannibal was attracted to Bedelia, in a fleeting sort of way. This moment's new shiny toy.

 

Bedelia let her dress slip off the upper half of her body. Hannibal stared, but was beckoned to leave from a silent Bedelia who only stared back at him.  He turned around and left.

 

Hannibal made his way to their bedroom. He was conflicted. He was very much still troubled by the way Will had deceived him and decided not to run away with him. He had forced Bedelia to go in Will’s place. She was complaint because she only knew a fraction of what Hannibal was capable of, however it would never be enough. She failed to pass the test that so many others tried in the past. He began to truly miss Will.

 

His attraction to Will was much different than the feeling toward Bedelia. Will’s darkness was genuine. In the case of Randall Tier, Bedelia would not have been capable of rising to the same level as Will had when he fashioned Tier's body into a murder tableau. The act was done in response to Hannibal forcing Will's becoming. Bedelia would not stand to allow herself to cross the precipice of her becoming.

 

Yet, here she was in Will’s place, sharing a bed with Hannibal most nights, while he thought only of Will.

 

Bedelia was being used as an element of his façade, and nothing more.

 

He sat down at the edge of the bed and took his tie off. He laid down on his side of the bed without removing the rest of his clothes. He was haunted by the way Will had looked as the younger man sat dying in his kitchen all those months ago.

 

He knew Will was alive. Chiyoh had been keeping tabs on Will for him while the younger man was recovering in the hospital. Hannibal truly had forgiven Will for what he had done to him that night, leading Jack and the FBI to his doorstep, tricking him into thinking that Will had murdered Freddie Lounds. He wasn’t sure if he would ever receive forgiveness back, however. He knew he deserved whatever Will felt toward him, be it anger or forgiveness. His heart ached for Will and it took most of his strength to prevent it from affecting his rigid persona.

 

Hannibal closed his eyes, kicked off his shoes, and let his mind wander.

 

A hand slides across Hannibal’s chest and then lightly caresses his opposite side as Hannibal soaks up the attention. He turns his body to face the owner of the hand. Eyes underneath short wavy dark brown hair, swept to the side, look up at Hannibal. Hannibal moves closer, sweeping the hair out of his lover’s eyes, as Will’s phantom inches closer to him. They embrace in a lingering kiss, consuming each other’s scent and flesh with intense touching. Hannibal moans into Will’s mouth as Will reaches his hand down toward Hannibal’s pants and unzips them. The older man suddenly feels Will’s hand wrap around his hard, stiff cock, feeling a pulling sensation as the phantom slowly works his hand up and down the shaft.

 

Hannibal turns onto his back, as Will’s phantom uses his free hand to explore the rest of Hannibal’s body. The hand working on letting out a release from Hannibal is covered in precum and the phantom uses it to glide more evenly along Hannibal’s cock. Hannibal starts to pump his hips up and down as the sensation becomes more overpowering.

 

He knows he’s about to come when suddenly the sensation ceases. Will whispers in his ear.

 

_I want you in my mouth when you come._

Hannibal almost loses it right then and there, but controls himself as Will’s phantom gets on top of him and puts Hannibal’s cock in his mouth. Will’s mouth moves up and down the shaft, slowly like he had done before with his hand, and lets out a moan. Hannibal can’t control himself and nearly bucks Will’s phantom off the bed as he releases himself in the younger man’s mouth. The wet sensation lingers on his cock as he pulls Will up to meet him with a kiss. The two men lightly kiss each other for a moment before Will’s phantom admits his true feelings to Hannibal.

 

_I’m in love with you, Hannibal. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize this…_

Hannibal wraps his arms around Will and goes in for another kiss. Suddenly a loud alarm goes off in the distance.

 

Hannibal sprang up in surprise as he awakened from his dream about Will. He had fallen asleep in his dress clothes and Bedelia’s side of the bed looked as if she hadn’t slept in it at all that night. Hannibal’s pants felt tight and he looked down to see a stiffening erection trying to free itself from his dress pants. He thought of Will as he placed he hand on his aching cock. Hannibal almost couldn’t control himself. The sensation of being intimate with Will in the dream had felt too real.

 

Hannibal relieved himself in the shower, thinking of Will’s mouth sliding up and down his shaft. He moaned with pleasure as his own hand vigorously moved upward and downward, using water and soap to heighten the sensation. Hannibal came with a force so great while he pictured Will’s face in his mind, speaking softly to him.

 

_I’m in love with you, Hannibal…_

 

Thick robes of cum shot out of Hannibal’s cock and lined the edge of the shower wall. Hannibal had to hold himself up with one hand to keep from slipping on a film of water lining the shower grip.

 

Hannibal’s eyes became watery with grief; he missed Will greatly.   

 

* * *

 

The train trekked along the countryside; passengers stared out admiring the landscape.

 

Hannibal also stared out toward the countryside. The body of Anthony Dimmond tucked away in a trunk by his feet. Hannibal’s thoughts were not of the picture made by the landscape, however; he thought only of Will.

 

He pulled out a poster with Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man etched onto it and folded it into a heart. Not a two-dimensional cutesy heart a teen would send to his high school crush, littered with clichéd admissions of love, but a replica of an actual human heart that looked like it would start beating if it hadn’t been made of paper.

 

He thought of the tableau he would leave in Palermo, knowing Will would see it.     

 

_Later that night…_

 

Hannibal watched Will slowly walk through the catacombs underneath the Norman Cathedral in Palermo.

 

Earlier, he had watched the younger man lie in front of the altar near the heart tableau left for him. Will’s body look enticing as Hannibal gazed at Will who looked lost in thought, lying supine at the steps of the nave of the chapel.

 

Hannibal knew Will was thinking of him, possibly of what the older man had meant when he left the heart tableau for only him to find.

 

He knew Will would find him here and the broken heart. _His_ broken heart. He knew Will wanted answers and had sought out the older man directly to get them before Jack or the Italian police could reach him.

 

He silently followed Will through the catacombs, keeping his distance.

 

“Hannibal.” Will said firmly.

 

Hannibal stopped in his tracks. Not because he feared Will would find him, but to hear what Will had to say.

 

He was sure Will had hated him…or still did. However, he wasn’t entirely sure if Will would come to find him or see his heart tableau, neither. He fully expected Will to never forgive him for what he had done. But Hannibal realized that seeing Will in the catacombs was precursor to how the younger man felt toward him.

 

There existed a possibility for forgiveness.

 

A pregnant pause ensued, as Hannibal waited for Will to speak again.

 

“I-I forgive you.” Will breathed out.

 

Hannibal left swiftly. He had wished for forgiveness, but didn’t expect it. The knowledge consumed him and it took all the strength he had to not cry out to Will and embrace him. He left the cathedral and took a taxi back to the train station.

 

On the train back to Florence, Hannibal took out the heart-shaped piece of origami he had fashioned earlier. He imagined the paper heart beating in his hand, replicating the way his own heart did when he heard Will forgive him in the catacombs. He’s mind drifted back to Will as he closed his eyes.

 

Hannibal thought of his intimate dream about Will.

 

_I’m in love with you, Hannibal. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize this…_

 

Will’s phantom was a projection of Hannibal’s feelings. He had wished he had expressed himself better to Will before he left. His emotions were mixed and he felt hurt by Will’s act of betrayal. However, there was a glimmer of reconciliation from hearing Will forgive him in the catacombs.

 

He had to be patient. Soon Will would come to him and embrace his inner darkness, as well as a life with Hannibal.

 

_You cannot control with respect to whom you fall in love._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Five: Jealous?
> 
> Will and Hannibal have dinner with Bedelia before moving to Cuba (*catches breath*). 
> 
> Thanks for reading !
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	5. Jealous?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal have dinner with Bedelia before moving to Cuba.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy HanniHolidays, fellow Hannigram shipmates. :)
> 
> I also wanted to give a shout out to all of those who have been enjoying my work so far. I'm so grateful to have fellow Fannibals interested in my work. The external messages, the reviews, the kudos, the subscriptions, all brighten my day. Thank you so much.

_Back to the Present_

 

Hannibal stroked Will’s arm, which had been held onto to prevent the latter from leaving the Montegomerys’ kitchen in an angry hurry. But by now, Will had relaxed into the embrace.

 “A therapy kill. Our relationship needs it.” Hannibal let go of Will and stood back a bit to observe Will’s full reaction. It shocked Will that Hannibal was daring to kill someone while they lived in their temporary hideout. They needed to move quickly; it had been only a few days since the Fall.

 

“Do we have enough time?” Will asked with a surprised look on his face.

 

“Of course. We’ll leave right after. I’ve already set the wheels in motion if you agree to it. Otherwise, we’ll forget about it and keep moving.”

 

“...if you already have a plan…then I trust you, Hannibal.” Will said quietly. He was intrigued. Jack was smart, but Hannibal managed to allude the FBI (most of the time) for as long as Will had known him. They were no match for Hannibal.

 

“Splendid. We’re having dinner tomorrow night then…with an old friend.” Hannibal started to pick up the dishes from the table to put them in the kitchen sink.

 

Will’s mind reeled with the possibilities of who their dinner guest might be. Chilton? No, Hannibal wouldn’t dine on overdone meat. It wouldn’t be Alana. She hadn’t done anything _too_ extreme to Hannibal and besides Will was still fond of her. It would also be foolish to take the time to kill Alana while being on the run-

 

_Fuck…Bedelia?_

Will put his hand on Hannibal’s arm. Hannibal abruptly stopped washing a dish.

 

“We can’t kill Bedelia, Hannibal. I’m sorry for my outburst, but that would be petty if I asked you to kill her.”

 

Hannibal let a hint of amusement escape his otherwise stoic demeanor as he responded. “You didn’t ask me. I asked you.”

 

“Yes, but…I was envious of your relationship and I know you’re doing this to prove a point. I don’t want it to be like this.” Part of Will couldn't believe he was stepping in for Bedelia like this. Then he thought maybe he wasn't ready to pursue hunting yet. That would only explain why he questioned Hannibal's choice.

 

Hannibal stared at Will for a moment, as if he were trying to think of what to say, but Hannibal was usually not at a loss for words.

 

“Bedelia is a liability. Jack no longer has anyone who thinks the way that you and I do. His best bet is to use Bedelia to find us. And we can’t risk leaving her alive before we leave the country. Also…”

 

Hannibal turned around to fully look Will straight in the eye.

 

“…she tried to capitalize on my name. And that was very rude of her.”

 

Will agreed. Bedelia was conniving. She had turned her "misfortunes" in Florence into a stellar career of psychological babble and discussion.

 

Will's mind shot back to his anger toward Bedelia. The younger man would do anything to take Bedelia out of the picture for good. He hated that she had replaced him. She could _never_ replace him. Also, his relationship with Bedelia had become somewhat tense ever since Hannibal was charged to the state hospital, although she had confided in him about Hannibal’s true feelings toward him.

 

Maybe he was ready to pursue hunting with Hannibal. Besides his own irrational feelings of jealousy, Hannibal had a point about Bedelia taking advantage of her "abduction" in Florence. It annoyed Will as well. Especially when Bedelia boasted that Hannibal would not dare to attack her.

 

“You’re right.” Will admitted. Hannibal smiled back at him. They both understood each other in that moment and it felt nice to gain that level of understanding with both parties. Will felt a little uneasy about the dinner, but he fought to regain control of himself. If this was the life he was willing to accept and he needed to accept every bit of it.

 

Will grabbed the rest of the dishes and helped Hannibal clean up.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal and Will still slept in their own rooms, in their own beds. The episode in the kitchen was too much for Will to handle by itself. Hannibal had noticed this, so he didn’t push any further to explore their nascent intimacy. Tonight was more than enough progress.

 

Will laid in his bed thinking of Hannibal’s proposition and of Hannibal. He also thought of Hannibal’s lips brushing his cheek as he whispered into Will’s ear about killing Bedelia.

 

Will had once had a conversation about Hannibal with Chiyoh when he went to visit the older man’s childhood home in Lithuania. He had admitted to Chiyoh that he was drawn to Hannibal, even after the night Hannibal stabbed him and fled the states.

 

_I’ve never known myself as well as I…know myself…when I’m with him._

 

This hunt may be the therapy they needed to move forward, Will decided. A tiny bit of him was still anxious about the dinner. He wanted to be a capable partner for Hannibal, but he also didn't want to ruin a planned kill as well as any possibility for escape. Will finally determined that he would trust Hannibal...fully.

 

Will’s breath hitched when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door.

 

_Hannibal…_

Hannibal’s voice softly penetrated through the door.

 

“Will, may I come in?”

 

Will gulped, pulled the covers up to his face, then pushed them back down. He sat up in the bed, trying not to look too anxious or surprised. He failed.

 

“Y-Yes. That’s fine.”

 

Hannibal slowly opened the door. He was a wearing a sweater and silk pajama bottoms. The clothes had once belonged to the Montgomerys' eldest son who just so happened to be the same height and weight as Hannibal. Hannibal stood for a moment by the door and waited for Will’s next move.

 

Will tilted his head toward the side of the bed, letting Hannibal know it was fine to sit there. Hannibal acknowledged the offer and sat on the edge of the bed closest to the door.

 

“Will, I wanted to wait to ask you this...but our recent exchange in the kitchen has compelled me to wait no longer.”

 

Will shuddered lightly and stayed silent. He thought maybe Hannibal was going to ask him about the therapy kill, fucking (which he was not ready for), sleeping in the same bed (oh my god, maybe? But still not quite ready for), getting married –

 

“You were upset about my perceived feelings for Bedelia, which was warranted due to her _seemingly_  replacing you in Florence.”

 

 _You mean you fucking her behind my back?_ Will thought, but kept silent.

 

Hannibal looked directly into Will’s eyes. The younger man sensed a similar hurt he had experienced in Hannibal’s kitchen the night the older man had stabbed the former.

 

Will struggled to let go of his envy of Hannibal and Bedelia’s past relationship.

 

“However, when I was otherwise detained in the state hospital under Alana’s watch, you replaced me with Molly and her son.”

 

_Fuck._

Will thought back to the wedding band in the night stand. He was such a hypocrite.

 

“Did you love her…or do you still do?" Hannibal asked calmly, albeit there was a sense of worry in his voice, expecting an answer that would crush him.

 

Will heard it in his voice. He felt so stupid for not even thinking about how his relationship with Molly affected Hannibal. He’s mind swam as he thought about Molly and Walter being hunted by the Red Dragon. Was that Hannibal’s jealous response to Will replacing him?

 

Truthfully, the act of the possibly losing Molly and Walter hadn’t upset Will as much as it should have. He cared for them, he really did, but the loss of Abigail was greater. Even seeing Beverly’s body sectioned off and displayed like an anatomical inquiry was more upsetting. In all honesty, Will had forgiven Hannibal for sending Dolarhyde after his family when he decided to help his companion escape the FBI.

 

“No, Hannibal…I don’t think I ever did.”

 

Will thought back to when he and Molly were intimate the few times during their relationship. He had lapses thinking of being with Hannibal instead.

 

Will placed his right hand on the hand Hannibal positioned closest to him. The older man’s hand felt warm and inviting. This was the first time since the Fall that Will had initiated contact with Hannibal. It felt nice…it felt right.

 

Hannibal also noticed that Will’s wedding band was still missing. He had noticed it was gone after dinner, when Will put his right hand on his chest to brace himself in their overwhelming hold.

 

“I want to make sure that this...that I am enough for you, Will. But I only wish you the best...”

 

Will was touched by Hannibal’s admission. He never expected Hannibal to delve so deeply into his feelings for him.

 

“Hannibal, you are enough…I’ve only felt truly myself when I was with you…” Will corrected himself. “When I am with you…”

 

Hannibal looked at Will and smiled a little. It was relieving to hear Will admit his feelings toward him. But he was still cautious. He knew Will was getting use to the situation and didn’t want to push him away like he had done before.

 

Hannibal thought for a moment to carefully choose his next words. “Where do we go from here, Will?”

 

Will’s face contorted into a quizzical expression. “What do you mean, Hannibal?”

 

“You and I. _This._ I still sense that you are hesitant…”

 

It was true. Will still wasn’t sure how he wanted his relationship to look with Hannibal. He thought of him sexually, intimately, before, but those were thoughts. Now that they were “together” in a sense, and Will was struggling with having emotions for and sexually desiring another man. Everything was so new and moving way too quickly for him to think straight. But he also didn’t want Hannibal to think he didn’t want him in that way, just not yet. One step at a time.

 

“Hannibal, I want you…I’m just trying to take one step at a time…”

 

Hannibal moved his other hand and cupped Will’s face with it.

 

“I know, Will. I needed to hear it out loud.”

 

Hannibal’s hand felt warm and inviting on Will’s face. He leaned into it and put his right hand on Hannibal's. Will stroked Hannibal’s hand then looked directly into his companion’s eyes.

 

“I want to be with you, Hannibal. You mean more to me than you’ll ever know...but can we take it slow...?”

 

Hannibal stroked Will’s face back. “Of, course.”

 

Hannibal lingered for a moment, then got up from the bed. He went to the door, and turned around.

 

“Goodnight, Will.”

 

“Goodnight, Hannibal.”

 

Hannibal closed the door as Will turned over to face the window on the opposite side of the room. He still felt Hannibal’s touch on his skin and relished in the lingering warmth.

 

He closed his eyes and thought of Hannibal.

 

* * *

 

_The next night…_

_He is in no position to eat me now…_

_If you play…you pay..._

 

_...I'd pack my bags if I were you, Bedelia...meat's back on the menu..._

 

Bedelia had been house bound since she found out from the FBI that their agents couldn't locate either Hannibal's body or Will Graham's. She wasn’t fearful for her life; she was just resting from a lengthy academic conference, where she talked about her experience in Florence. Hannibal wouldn't dare to take the time to have his way with her while on the run from the FBI. 

 

The two men had killed the man claiming to be the Great Red Dragon. Jack Crawford had offered to put an agent detail outside of her home in case the pair was spotted. She refused.

 

She and Jack Crawford were the only ones, to her knowledge, who believed that the two men were still at large. However, she thought Hannibal had gotten what he truly wanted in a murder companion (or pet, as she thought Will Graham to be) and figured that the two were long gone, and would leave her in peace. She didn’t expect what would happen to her later that night.

 

She heard the doorbell ring.

Bedelia had been lying in bed reading a book before the doorbell rang. She looked at her night stand clock. It was six in the evening. She thought it could possibly be Jack, coming to give her an update about the case.

 

She put on a robe and hurried downstairs to answer the door. She arrived at the front door and opened it. No one was standing there. She looked around and then saw something on the ground. It looked like a note. She picked it up and realized her name was written on it in familiar elegant handwriting-

 

 _Hannibal!_ Her mind screamed.

 

Bedelia dropped the note and tried to turn around, but two strong arms grabbed her from behind, forced her mouth closed, and dragged her back into the house. As she passed out from the hold, she could see through blurred vision two men standing over her.

 

* * *

 

Bedelia woke up with a jolt. She was lying in her bed as she had done before she passed out. She thought the scene at her front door might had been a dream, till she realized there was something wrong with her body. She instantly knew what was wrong as she stared in terror at what laid beneath the sheets…or to put it more accurately, what didn’t. She threw the covers off the lower half of her body and shrieked in horror. Her left leg was missing.

 

The bedroom door opened suddenly. Hannibal walked through with Will Graham.

 

Before Bedelia could react, Hannibal walked up swiftly to her, put his arms around the upper half of her body, hand over her mouth, and spoke softly.

 

“Now, now, dear Bedelia. We wouldn’t want you frighten before dinner.”

 

Bedelia gaped in terror at Hannibal, then down at her missing leg, then back up at Will who stood silently at the foot of the bed. He looked pleased.

 

“If I take my hand away, do you promise not to scream? I’ll only kill you right here in this bed if you do. So, I suggest you comply.” Hannibal continued softly as he stood firm against Bedelia struggling to get out of his hold. She knew she had no choice. She could either died right there or she could try to convince them to let her live. She thought maybe she would be able to convince Will. She had been in the same predicament he was in when Hannibal took her to Florence. Surely, he felt trapped as well and wanted to be freed from Hannibal’s manipulation.

 

Bedelia closed her eyes and slowly nodded her head, indicating that she would comply. Hannibal let go of her and stepped back toward Will. Bedelia was breathing heavily and only stared at the two men.

 

“Remember the dress I bought you for the Capponi Library departmental soirée, but then you decided to wear the other one?” Hannibal asked her, casually.

 

Bedelia nodded her head yes.

 

“Wear that to dinner, please....might as well get some use out of it. Dinner should be ready in an hour.”

 

* * *

 

Bedelia woke up again with a jolt, smelling something intoxicating. She didn’t remember blacking out. It must have been when she was getting dressed. Either Will or Hannibal had knocked her out and carried her to her dining room table. She followed the direction of the aromatic smells radiating from the table and realized what smelled so tasty.

 

Her left leg was on the table, cooked, garnished, and ready to be eaten.

 

Bedelia started to hyperventilate. She didn’t know what to do, so she snatched an extra knife off the table and hid it before Hannibal and Will came back into the room.

 

A few moments later, the two men entered the dining room. Hannibal was carrying a bottle of wine from Bedelia’s cellar and Will followed slightly behind him. They were wearing what looked to be plastic coveralls over their clothing. Will sat down and flashed a sinister smile at Bedelia. Hannibal walked around the table filling everyone’s wine glass.

 

“It’s nice to get a chance to dine with an old friend before departing.” Hannibal mused. Bedelia couldn’t control her rapid breathing. She knew she was going to die tonight if she didn’t plan her moves carefully.

 

Hannibal went over to fill Will’s glass.

 

“I thought the two of you were dead.” Bedelia lied, trying to stay as calm as possible, although her voice betrayed her.

 

Hannibal smiled the same way Will had smiled at her when the younger man took his seat at the table. However, it was Will who spoke up. She didn’t expect that.

 

“That’s all Hannibal’s doing. He’s resourceful that way.”

 

Hannibal squeezed Will’s shoulder affectionately after he finished filling his companion’s glass. He made his way over to his side of the table.

 

“Now, Will I don’t deserve all the credit, but thank you nonetheless.” Hannibal said as he sat down. He took his napkin off the table and placed it on his lap. He then proceeded to fork a portion of Bedelia’s leg he dished out for himself. Hannibal looked at Bedelia, then at Will, who also had forked out a piece.

   
"Bon appétit!” Hannibal said cheerily.

 

“Bon appétit.” Will replied with a slight smile.

 

He and Hannibal then took a bite from their dishes. Bedelia watched in silent terror. She never thought that Hannibal would be able to turn Will into a cannibal as well. She thought that the older man’s control over Will must had been greater than anyone realized.

 

After a few moments of silent chewing, Hannibal spoke up. “Exquisite.”

 

“Bedelia, it’s quite evident that you take _very_ good care of yourself.” Will added.

 

Hannibal smiled at Will’s observation.

 

“Why....Hannibal?” Bedelia finally asked slowly, sounding defeated. She was still reeling from the shock of seeing her leg consumed.

 

Hannibal knew what she was referring to. “Jack Crawford will need someone to take our place to catch us. And you seem to be the closest surrogate.”

 

“I wouldn’t have accepted, Hannibal...I know what you’re capable of.” Bedelia said slowly.

 

“No, I don’t think you do, Bedelia. You’ve seen a fraction of my capability and that frightened you.” Hannibal took a sip of the wine. “We can’t have any loose ends, my dear.”

 

Bedelia continued to stare in fear.

 

“Also, I read about your academic conferences. Strange how you managed to evade the FBI when you were the one who killed Sogliato. Remember him?” Hannibal took another bite out of Bedelia's left leg.

 

Bedelia thought back to the night Professor Sogliato had dined with them in their Florentine apartment. She had pulled out an ice chipper from Sogliato’s temple after Hannibal jammed it into the man’s skull. The act killed Sogliato instantly.

 

 _Technically, you killed him._ Hannibal had said to her, amused by the act.

Bedelia tried to gather herself. She would not die this way.

 

She quickly looked at Will the way she had when she first tried to convince him about how manipulative Hannibal could be. Her head was stiffly tilted to the side and she avoided eye contact with Hannibal. To her, now, it was about Will Graham and fighting for her life.

 

“Will, he will destroy you. He will pull you into his games and will make you do inexplicable things.”

 

Bedelia shot a look back at Hannibal who was amusing himself with the exchange. He said nothing and appeared to wait for Will to respond to the provocation.

 

“Hannibal will use you for the time that he needs you and then throw you away. You don’t have to be like him. You can walk away from this. I was under the same influence…you can fight it...you have to remember who you are.”

 

Will listened silently to Bedelia as she pled her case calmly. He appeared to be listening.

 

“Bedelia. I’m not like Hannibal, you’re right in that regard.” Will turned his body to fully face Bedelia. “However, you should also be afraid of me."

 

Will looked directly into Bedelia's eyes, completely calm and poised.

 

"I know who I am and soon you will know as well.”

 

Bedelia couldn’t tear her eyes away from Will’s eyes. They were round black opals, lifeless, with a hint of moonlight glimmer. She had seen the same look in Hannibal’s eyes the night they fled for Florence. She saw Will’s darkness and an immense fear swelled inside her. She felt foolish for taking for granted Will's decision which resulted in Hannibal escaping the FBI when they used the older man to capture Dolarhyde.

 

_I'd pack my bags if I were you, Bedelia...meat's back on the menu._

 

She didn't expect that Hannibal's "pet" would be the one to see to her disappearance. Will had crossed over.

 

She thought quickly, albeit irrationally, and pushed herself out of her chair. She couldn’t adjust for the weight shift on one leg and fell flat on the floor, landing on the knife she was hiding. The knife pierced her side and she shrieked in pain. Bedelia started to crawl toward her parlor, which was connected to dining room, but she couldn’t move as fast with one leg. She knew they were watching her struggle.

 

She felt a presence hover over her body. A hand wrapped itself around her blonde hair and yanked her head back. She could hear Will breathing calmly in her ear.

 

“...you know I once pitied you, Bedelia, when you had to first deal with Hannibal.”

 

Bedelia was trying to get away from Will, but he pulled her hair taunt and she couldn’t breathe. Her throat was completely bared to him.

 

“Then I hated you when you replaced me in Florence. My feelings were misplaced, however, and I’ve accepted it. But now…” Will tugged on her hair a bit more.

 

“Now, I feel nothing toward you.”

 

Bedelia’s eyes widened. She could only make quiet gasping sounds as her arms struggled to hold herself up. Her limbs keep crashing against the smooth hardwood floor. Will wouldn’t allow her to find a position comfortable enough to hold her own body upright. He came closer to her face. She could feel his lips brushing against her skin.  

 

“You’re just a piece of meat. Nothing more.”

 

And with that, Bedelia felt a knife open her throat and she struggled to breath. Her head fell on the floor and she gasped for air. The last thing she saw as her vision blurred was her blood staining her antique hardwood floors.  

 

* * *

 

Will felt Hannibal’s hand on his right shoulder, followed by a light squeeze. The hand didn’t move as Will continued to stare into nothingness, struggling to balance on his knees over Bedelia’s dying body. Splatters of blood dripping off his coveralls.

 

“Will..?” Hannibal said softly. This was not like their murderous consummation after Francis Dolarhyde.

 

Will’s mine shot back to when he stood on the precipice of his own becoming, long before the Fall. He thought of Randall Tier, and how Hannibal had sent him to prove a point about Will’s true nature.

 

_His killer empathized with him?_

_Don’t mistake understanding with empathizing Jack. No, if it’s anything…it’s envy._

_Envy?_

_Randall Tier came into his own much easier than whoever killed him._

_This is a fledgling killer. He’s never killed before…not like this._ Will could hear Hannibal’s distant voice in the memory.

_Not like this, no. This is the nightmare that followed him out of his dream._

_I will embrace my darkness. The lamb is becoming a lion._ Will thought to himself, bringing his mind back to the present with Hannibal and Bedelia’s body fixed on top a pool of blood.

 

Will looked at Hannibal. There were blood splatters all over his makeshift coveralls fashioned together with whatever plastic they could find.

 

Hannibal looked beautiful.

 

This was not like killing Dolarhyde. Killing the Red Dragon was a fleeting moment hyped by mixed emotions and confusion over what _this_ was. Will knew exactly what he wanted when he killed Bedelia.

 

Will wasn’t sure if he hated Hannibal after they killed Dolarhyde. He had been so angry, but longed for Hannibal at the same time after he had regained consciousness and realized they were still alive.

 

Now, Will didn’t want to die, he didn’t want Hannibal to die neither. He didn’t hate Hannibal. He loved him. He was _in love_ with Hannibal. They had solidified their bond with killing Dolarhyde, but the love that held it together was gaining strength with killing Bedelia.

 

“Will, I-“

 

Will swallowed Hannibal’s statement with a lingering kiss. It took Hannibal only a second to kiss Will back, not fully expecting this reaction from his companion. Will held the back of Hannibal’s head and caressed his neck with his thumb as his lips pressed up against Hannibal’s, lightly biting his lower lip and quietly moaning with pleasure.

 

Hannibal put his hand on Will’s waist. He let his hand glide up and down slowing as the two men stayed locked into place, caressing each other softly with their lips. Then Will pulled away a little to stare into Hannibal’s eyes.

 

“Hannibal…I’m in love with you.”

 

Hannibal looked back at Will with a soft soothing gaze. He stroked his younger companion’s face. “I’m in love with you too, Will.”

 

They both went back into their lingering embrace. Will felt Hannibal’s body everywhere. He was angry with himself that it took this long to be physically affectionate with Hannibal, but that emotion was overcome by desire and acceptance.  

 

“...as much as I would like to keep this going...we must leave in a few hours.” Hannibal said quietly in between kisses with a faint smile.

 

Will pulled back a bit to catch his breath. “...of course, my apologies, I got carried away...”

 

Hannibal smiled back at Will. It was the twinkle of someone visibly caressing their beloved with the gaze of their eyes.

 

Will looked down at Bedelia and the pool of blood. “How are we going to keep Jack from detecting us now?”

 

“Don’t worry, Will. I have a plan.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Six: Renewed.
> 
> Hannibal and Will clean up their dinner mess before setting sail for Cuba. Sexual intimacy is explored between our two favorite protagonists, while they leave the FBI in the dark (they think anyway ;) ).
> 
> Side note: Please let me know how this is going. Sometimes I'm a one tracked mind and miss things that other people might find important to the story. All input is welcomed :)


	6. Renewed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Will clean up their dinner mess before setting sail for Cuba. Sexual intimacy is explored between our two favorite protagonists, while they leave the FBI in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading :) I would not be here writing, pouring my heart out over Hannigram if I did not have other Hannigram fans who could relate to me.
> 
> Happy Hannigramming, fellow lovely shipmates :)
> 
> \-- lady_slice

_Flashback to a few minutes before dinner with Bedelia..._

 

"Will..are you sure you want to do this?" Hannibal was holding a Cabernet Franc he had procured from Bedelia's wine cellar. The two men were standing in Bedelia's kitchen, dressed in coveralls over their clothes from the Fall. To Will, it seemed as if Hannibal purposely exposed a hint of concern on his face, allowing that he was cognitive of Will's feelings. Ever since talking after the Fall, Will knew that Hannibal would only push him as far as the younger man wanted go. How far _he_ thought Will wanted to go. Hannibal had almost lost his companion a few times in the past by attempting to _force_ Will into his becoming, instead of _guiding_ the younger man, so it benefited him to take his time, and Will appreciated the gesture.

 

Even through past efforts of forcing the younger man's becoming, Will always came back to Hannibal. Will could not deny his attraction to the older man, and tonight was the perfect night to let his companion truly know how he felt toward him. 

 

Will and Hannibal had discussed the dinner plans thoroughly before departing for Bedelia's home. However, Will hadn't decided until this point whether or not he would be fully compliant with Hannibal doing away with Bedelia.

 

The way Hannibal had looked at at him, that night after the exchange in the Montgomerys' kitchen, nudged Will toward the direction he felt most like himself: being with Hannibal as an equal partner.  

 

Will clinched his jaw as a stoic expression registered on his face. He nodded and put his hand on Hannibal's shoulder.

 

"Yes, I am definitely sure."

 

Hannibal gave Will a slight smile back and led them into the dining room to greet Bedelia.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the Present_

 

Hannibal joined Will to observe the older man's most recent design. After dinner, Will had carried Bedelia’s body to her bedroom, while Hannibal searched the house for some items he needed. Will was intrigued, but also irritated by the design.

 

 _There's a sense of subtlety I would have like to experience myself._ Will thought to himself while he stood with Hannibal. Both men were engulfed in a comfortable silence.

 

Will had always been secretly amazed by the way Hannibal worked. He managed to create the most enticing tableaus; Will thought back to the broken heart tableau in Palermo. Although, dripping with dramatic overtones of flare, Will couldn't help but be mesmerized by Hannibal's admission of love for him. However, now, it bothered Will that he wasn’t included in the prep work for this particular piece.

 

Hannibal squeezed Will’s shoulder and smiled. “What do you think?”

 

“...I think it’s ingenious…however…I would like to be involved next time, Hannibal...” Will responded.

 

Hannibal sighed as he left Will's side and tidied up small details within the scene. Hannibal had placed Bedelia’s body on the bed as if she had fallen asleep reading a book; snug and cozy, completely at peace with her current life. Will thought about how difficult it was to contort Bedelia’s face into that passive expression; She had died with absolute terror written on her face. Everything around Bedelia’s body, the bed, the covers, were all cleaned and neatly positioned, except for the stained stream of blood that ran down her neck to her waist.

 

“You were sleeping and recovering…also judging from the way you reacted toward me while I tended to your wounds, if you recall…” Hannibal turned his head to look at Will. “…I thought it would be best to go ahead and continue with the plan alone.” Hannibal straighten up from a squat and looked at Will.

 

“I will, of course, include you next time. This was only for our orchestrated escape.” The older man had moved closer toward his younger companion. Hannibal gazed at Will soothingly. 

 

Will knew Hannibal was right, but it still annoyed him. He had crossed over and wanted to be Hannibal’s willing partner in everything that they did. In retrospect, he _was_ upset during his outburst in the Montgomerys’ common area before he had blacked out, so he reluctantly agreed with Hannibal that it had been best to let him sleep, calm down, and embrace his new life.

 

Will sighed. “I know you’re right, Hannibal. Just a little annoyed, to be honest..."

 

Hannibal turned around to fully face Will, cupping his face with his hand. “Say that again.”

 

“Which part...you’re right, Hannibal?” Will rolled his eyes mentally.

 

“Yes.” Hannibal answered as he moved in closer to give Will a kiss. The kiss felt warm and mollifying. Hannibal had this way of making Will completely succumb to the man and his charms.

 

“You sound adorable when you admit that I’m right.” Hannibal said as he pulled back from the kiss.

 

This time, Will physically rolled his eyes. “Hannibal, get over yourself.” Will said playfully, taking his partner’s hand, giving it a kiss before facing Bedelia’s body again. “How are you describing this tableau again?”

 

Hannibal lingered his gaze toward Will a bit longer before turning to face Bedelia's body. “Tranquility. The killer sought tranquility through staging his victims as peaceful subjects. He feels that their passive energy will transfer to him after he releases them from the madness they have inflicted in this world.”

 

“...tell me what the others look like.” Will said slowly. He closed his eyes as Hannibal relayed the details of the two other murders leading to this one.

 

* * *

 

_Flashback to the previous morning before the dinner…_

 

Mickey Jones struggled to fall asleep in his bed. About an hour ago, he had been on the phone with his ex-wife, who was in his ear again about not paying child support. He told her that he wasn’t even sure the kid was his, just to add fuel to the fire. He didn’t want to have anything to do with _that_ family; he had moved on and his ex-wife needed to do so as well. The exchange still bothered him, however, and the cold weather didn’t help him sleep.

 

Jones felt a bizarre presence near his bed. He opened his eyes and looked at a shadowy figure standing very close to his bed, looking downward. Jones thought he was having an episode related to his sleep paralysis. He remembered his new psychiatrist explaining that this was a common issue with his current mental state and he needed to only remember that he was still sleeping when the episode inevitably occurred.

 

Jones shut his eyes tightly. “You’re not awake…you’re still sleeping.”

 

The shadowy figure moved its head closer to Jones’ face. Jones could feel breathing. It startled him that the nightmare felt so real.

 

“You’re not sleeping, Mr. Jones.”

 

Jones opened his eyes and tried to get out of the bed. Hannibal stopped him from jumping out of the bed as Jones struggled against him.

 

* * *

 

“...I slit his throat and held onto him till his body stopped convulsing. When his body was finally still, I laid his head up against the headboard. His blood ran down from the wound I inflicted and I closed his eyes to make it appear as if he were sleeping. I then removed his left leg as a personal trophy.”

 

Will hummed back thinking about the scene. He stayed quiet for a moment, while his own mind pieced the story together and created a manufactured memory.

 

“...how did you get into the city and back?” Will finally asked after a few moments.

 

“Chiyoh.”

 

“Well, she’s super helpful.” Will said back with a slight smile.

 

Will looked back at Bedelia’s body. Hannibal had also placed her cold lifeless hands, one on top of the other, on top of the book, much like he had done with Mickey Jones and the other victim.

 

Will tilted his head. “The killer derives his life source from groups of threes. Tranquility is only achieved after releasing the souls of those who cause strife.”

 

The two previous staged murders had been former patients of Hannibal’s. Mickey Jones was a deadbeat father who had insulted Hannibal’s “overly” decorated office, and the other was a businessman who had a nasty habit of spilling coffee on Hannibal’s furniture during their sessions. Also, the businessman, who worked in real estate, was known to have used outdated and racist practices to keep “certain” people out of his buildings.

 

They both proved to be appropriate victims for the Triptych Artist, or well Hannibal _copying_ the Triptych Artist.

 

Will couldn't help but smile as Hannibal explained how he strangled the businessman after the victim received one of his weekly evening massages in his own home. Hannibal then cut the businessman's throat before the man passed out from the strangle hold.

 

Will remembered looking through the Triptych Artist's file when he was first brought on by Jack to work on the Chesapeake Ripper case. The Triptych Artist only worked thrice every few years and managed to evade capture. He was known to create triptych tableaus of his victims: three separate pieces of art that were meant to be appreciated as a collective whole. The FBI also defined the piece by a single word, referring to some emotion or mood the Artist sought by killing his victims. For this particular set, Hannibal named it "Tranquility".

 

Bedelia was staged to look like the third piece of the Artist’s Tranquility. It had been a few years since the Triptych Artist had emerged to kill again, so the timing of Hannibal's copies was perfect.

    

Hannibal squeezed Will’s shoulder again. Will was brought back from daydreaming about killing Bedelia. He could still remember her gasps as she struggled to hold herself up and comprehend that Will was going to kill her and _not_ Hannibal. The struggle against his body stoked such a fiery surge in Will, that he almost toppled over from the euphoric feeling.

 

He used that surge to propel himself into a loving and wanting embrace with Hannibal. He couldn't stop thinking about that moment as he helped his companion stage the last piece of the murder tableau.

 

“Shall we take our leave, Will?”

 

Will put his hand on Hannibal’s and squeezed. He nodded as he followed Hannibal out of the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

_Later that night…_

 

Will untied the rope to their boat and set sail. Hannibal had acquired a much larger sailing boat compared to the one Will maneuvered to seek out Hannibal in Palermo. The boat had a spacious cabin with two main spaces: an eating area with a kitchenette/living space and a sleeping area in the hull of the boat. The sleeping area was only accessible through the kitchenette.

 

Will entered the kitchenette/living room area and found Hannibal sitting at a small table in the breakfast nook built into the side of the kitchenette. Will could smell the dinner Hannibal managed to whip up at the last minute with provisions from the Montgomerys’ cabin. It smelled absolutely delicious.

 

Hannibal was looking through passports and other forms of identification he had Chiyoh process for them.

 

“Aw, there you are, dear.” Hannibal handed Will a French passport. Will thumbed to the identification page to observe that his new name was Hugh Moreau. Will smiled.

 

“And what is your new identity, Hannibal?”

 

“Romain Moreau.”

 

“I take it we’re not brothers.” Will playfully snickered.

 

Hannibal knowing what Will was hinting at, smirked back. “Is that an issue?”

 

“Well no…I guess…it seems…not adequate to describe what we have...not an adequate ‘label’.” Will admitted, motioning with air quotes when he said the word ‘label’.

 

“Why do we need a label?” Hannibal looked back thoughtfully.

 

“Of course, we don’t need one…I guess...I mean...I’m stuck in traditional ways of labeling relationships with the people close to me.”

 

Will stopped for a moment. He realized he sounded unsure and hesitant about his developing relationship with Hannibal. He meant to explain that “marriage” wasn’t enough to define the bond he had with Hannibal, also it felt a little cheesy. Of course, being married to Hannibal was only for their new identities, so Will was unsure why he even brought it up as an issue.

 

“I think I understand what you’re trying to convey, Will.” Hannibal said as he put his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “This is only for our new identities…we don’t have to explain ourselves to others.”

 

Will smiled back and put his hand on Hannibal’s hand. He wanted to kiss him again, but he restrained himself to avoid looking overly eager. Hannibal smiled back and motioned for his companion to join him for dinner. They both sat down, placed their napkins on their thighs, and proceeded to try the wine Hannibal saved from dinner with Bedelia.

 

It felt as if they had been dining like this for years.

 

* * *

 

“I think I’m ready for bed.” Will yawned as he stretched out his limbs at their small table. Hannibal drank in the sight of Will’s body being completely exposed from the stretch.

 

“It is late. The events from today were exhausting.” Hannibal smiled at Will.

 

They both got up from the table and cleared the plates. Hannibal disappeared down below in the hull to the sleeping area. He came back up with a pillow and a couple of blankets. Will watched him neatly place the pillow and the blankets on the built-in couch in the living room incorporated within the kitchen.

 

“...Hannibal...we can sleep together…if you want.” Will said slowly. He knew Hannibal didn’t want to push him, but they had passionately kissed each other just a few hours earlier, so sleeping together wasn’t a big issue. Actually, Will was looking forward to it after he gave into his feelings for Hannibal.

 

“…I mean we are married now.” Will said playfully.

 

“If you’re willing to sleep with me, then I acquiesce.” Hannibal responded back in the same playful tone.

 

Will picked up the pillow and blankets Hannibal had placed on the couch and headed down into the hull of the boat. Hannibal followed closely behind. Will put the pillow back on the bed and laid the blankets on top of the extra sheets already on the bed. It was extremely cold that night and Will thought to himself how nice it would be to have the few extra blankets as well as another warm body lying next to him.

 

Will started to undress right in front of Hannibal. Hannibal took notice and proceeded to do the same. Will couldn’t help but stare at Hannibal as the older man took off his shirt then pulled his pants down. Will diverted his eyes quickly when he noticed that Hannibal caught him looking in his direction, but Hannibal only smiled.

 

They both stripped down to their boxer briefs. Will slid into the bed first, followed by Hannibal.

 

“...well this is nice.” Will said finally after a few moments of silence. Hannibal was a few inches away from his body. The bed was small, not too small for two people to sleep in together, but small enough for the two men to almost touch without trying.

 

“Hmm.” Hannibal responded back as he interlocked his hand with Will’s hand closest to him. Hannibal’s hand felt so warm, Will thought to himself. He wanted to fully embrace Hannibal, but he wasn’t quite sure if that would lead to sex or just cuddling. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to fuck Hannibal yet, it still felt too rushed to be _that_ intimate.

 

“I’m sorry for being so cagey with… _this_ …Hannibal.” Will admitted.

 

“Will, we’ll go as slow or as fast as you want.” Hannibal said soothingly. “I’m appreciating the moment we have right now…I’ve waited a long time for this.”

 

Will and Hannibal laid in silence for a few moments. Hannibal began caressing Will’s hand with his thumb, while Will mimicked back the gesture. They could both hear the waves crashing against the boat and it started to feel comfortably warm underneath the blankets.

 

“What are your boundaries, Will?” Hannibal finally asked. Turning his head slightly to look at his companion.

 

Will thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure what he wanted…well actually he did, but he wasn’t sure how to ask for it. Being with another man was more intimidating that he had expected it to be. It was just Hannibal, but he didn’t want to fuck up their first sexual experience with each other. He was sure Hannibal wouldn’t care, though. To Hannibal, it was more about being together than anything else.

 

“…I’m not quite sure…to be quite honest…” Will said slowly. He knew he sounded puerile.

 

Hannibal stayed quiet for a few seconds.

 

“Would it help if I suggested something and we go from there?” Hannibal asked. “You can tell me if you’re comfortable enough to accept.”

 

Will nodded his head as Hannibal moved closer to his face. The older man placed a hand on his face and cupped it. Will laid there a few moments longer, letting Hannibal stroke his face.

 

“That’s fine…” Will said meekly.

 

“Hmm…is it fair to assume that anal sex may be out of the question for right now?” Hannibal asked, straight faced.

 

Will was taken aback by how straight forward Hannibal was. Will was an adult, obviously, but he was shocked at hearing Hannibal mentioning fucking him from the get go.

 

_...well, we are in a relationship…I have to get use to this..._

“…um…n-no…I mean…n-not…yet…” Will stammered out, visibly shock.

 

Hannibal chuckled. “Will, it’s alright. I’m attempting to have a mature conversation with you about what you want. If it’s too uncomfortable, we can stop and just go to sleep.” Hannibal said firmly, but he was gentle with his words.

 

“No, Hannibal, this is fine…I just wasn’t expecting you to mention…anal sex…right off the back.” Will regained control of himself and waited before speaking again. “...have you been intimate with other men before?”

 

“A few.” Hannibal responded.

 

“…how was your first time?” Will asked. He was genuinely interested in how Hannibal handled his first homosexual experience. It would help to gain perspective on the issue and gauge his own feelings.

 

“…it wasn’t pleasant.” Hannibal admitted.

 

“Did you love him?” Will asked. This time, Will was sincerely trying to learn from Hannibal’s sexual experiences. This question wasn’t like when he asked whether Hannibal had loved Bedelia.

 

“No, I didn’t.” Hannibal continued. “I think it helps if you love that person…truthfully, I haven’t been in love the way I am with you.

 

Will was touched by Hannibal’s declaration. He felt the same. He wished he was better at expressing his feelings toward Hannibal like his companion was.

 

“…I feel the same way, Hannibal…” Will thought to himself. He would be fine with exploring something on a less vulnerable scale. Oral sex crossed his mind.

 

“What if we had…oral…sex…instead…?” Will heart was pounding in his chest. He knew Hannibal could feel it. The older man was so close to his body, he was practically on top of Will by this point.

 

Hannibal said nothing and proceeded to slowly move his hand cupping Will’s face down his neck, to his chest, passed his waist, before stopping an inch away from Will’s cock. Will’s was semi-hard by the movement and he could feel Hannibal getting hard as well.

 

Will moved in for a lingering kiss in response to Hannibal’s hand caressing his body. Hannibal kissed him back as his hand started to caress Will’s hardening cock through the fabric of the younger man's briefs.

 

Hannibal thought back to the dream he once had years ago, while he was on the run in Florence. This time he was physically touching Will and not his mind tricking him into thinking an aberration was caressing him.

 

Will let out a small groan as Hannibal proceeded to move his hand slowly up and down his shaft. Will thought to himself how great it felt as he began to push his hips up and down with the movement. Hannibal propped himself up with his free hand and looked at Will, while his companion enjoyed being stroked.

 

Hannibal moved in for another lingering kiss, biting Will’s bottom lip. He moved his head down Will’s body, leaving small warm kisses behind. Will kept groaning with pleasure from the act. Hannibal pulled Will's cock out of his briefs and stroked up and down the shaft. Precum leaked out the tip and Hannibal used it to glide more evenly along his companion's penis.

 

Hannibal kept leaving kisses till he reached Will’s groin. He slowly replaced his hand with his mouth and worked his way up and down Will’s hard stiff cock. Will couldn’t help himself when he heard Hannibal moan while using his mouth to please him. The younger man put his hand on Hannibal’s head and lightly tangled his hand in his companion's hair. Will gently guided Hannibal’s head up and down, as Hannibal responded with his own movement.

 

“…oh…my god…that feels…so good, Hannibal.”

 

Hannibal answered with a light moan and looked up at Will with his piercing black eyes. The dim light in the hull gleamed in his irises, and Will couldn’t help but stare.

 

Will let his hips rise and fall more quickly as Hannibal braced his companion’s side with his hands. He pushed Will up against the headboard of the bed and laid down between his legs. Will grabbed Hannibal’s hair more firmly and almost pushed him even harder onto his cock, but fought his body not to push _too_ hard; he didn’t want Hannibal to gag.

 

The two men stayed like this for a few moments as Will, with his hand on Hannibal’s head, controlled Hannibal’s movement up and down his cock. He could feel himself getting close and couldn’t hold out any longer.

 

“…Han-Hannibal…I think I’m going to come.”

 

Hannibal could barely respond before Will let out a release into his mouth. The older man could feel his mouth fill up with the younger man’s warm cum. It ended up being more than he expected. Will threw his head back and nearly bucked his cock further into Hannibal’s mouth. Hannibal held him still as he finished.

 

Will let go of Hannibal’s hair and let himself lay in the position he was currently in for a few seconds. Hannibal wiped his mouth and came up to join Will up against the headboard.

 

Will tried to speak in between gasps. “…that was so…fantastic...”

 

Hannibal smiled and cupped Will’s face again. He looked into his eyes. “Well, you’re welcome, Will.”

 

Will leaned into Hannibal’s hand and then took a hold of it with his own. He stared back at Hannibal while he caressed his companion’s hand.

 

“…what can I do for you? Would you like me to reciprocate?”

 

Hannibal dropped his hand and stared off. “Only if you want to, Will. It’s entirely up to you, of course.”

 

Will used his hand to gently force Hannibal to look back at him. “…Hannibal I want to…I’ve never done this before, however...how do you like it?

 

Hannibal could see in Will’s eyes that the younger man was sincerely interested in how he could please him.

 

“Hmm…I would do what you would like to have done to yourself.” Hannibal finally answered. “That’s what I did for you.”

 

Will nodded. He liked the way Hannibal caressed his cock before proceeding to put his mouth on his shaft. He also liked the way Hannibal let him guide his head up and down, and that Hannibal took a little bit of control with pushing him up against the headboard. Will thought it would be nice to try a combination of these.

 

Will moved his hand slowly down Hannibal’s chest, similar to the way the older man had done before. He looked into Hannibal’s eyes as his hand made its way passed his partner’s waist and hovered a bit before touching his hard cock. He kissed Hannibal on the lips and then move his head to kiss Hannibal on his neck. Hannibal responded with a slight moan.

 

Will bit down on Hannibal’s sternum and which elicited a gasp from Hannibal, who hadn’t expected Will to bite him. It felt stimulating.

 

Will moved his head toward Hannibal’s cock as he used his hand closest to Hannibal to push the older man up against the headboard and release his aching cock from his briefs. Will lingered a bit before putting his mouth on Hannibal’s shaft. He let his hand glide up and down for a few seconds. His heart started to beat heavily. He was nervous Hannibal would hate it.

 

Will stopped thinking so much and put his mouth on Hannibal’s cock. It tasted interesting, but in a good way. He figured he must taste the same way. He moved his head down to engulf more of Hannibal’s penis, trying not to gag. He could feel Hannibal gently caressing his head, not wanting to push Will’s head down any further, for fear of hurting him.

 

Will slowly licked up and down Hannibal’s cock. The sensation wasn’t anything he expected, but it turned him on to have Hannibal in his mouth. He didn’t expect to enjoy it so much.

 

Will turned his body to face Hannibal and laid down flat on the bed, while Hannibal stayed sitting up straight against the headboard. Hannibal moved his hips up and down to match the motion of Will’s mouth on his cock. Will looked up and saw that Hannibal’s head was completely thrown back against the headboard. Will let out a groan and started to move more vigorously up and down Hannibal’s shaft.

 

Will placed his hands on Hannibal’s hips the same way Hannibal had done before. Will could feel Hannibal getting tense, meaning that his partner was about to come any minute. He hadn’t taken into consideration about swallowing; he just figured he would reciprocate the act. Also, it would be easier to clean up.

 

Hannibal’s hips pumped up and down faster and Will braced himself with the movement, moving his head up and down faster. Hannibal stopped caressing Will’s head and groaned out a release into Will’s mouth. The younger man’s mouth filled up with Hannibal’s cum. Will couldn't help but notice how it tasted better than he expected it to, probably due to Hannibal’s diet. Will lingered a bit on Hannibal’s cock, as the older man pumped up and down his hips with the last bit of release. He let his hand slip off Will’s head and leaned up against the headboard.

 

Will tried to catch the rest of the cum with his mouth, but it was more than he expected and it leaked out of his mouth when he came up for air. Hannibal chuckled at the sight and handed Will a tissue from the built-in night stand. Will accepted the napkin and smiled. He turned his body and sat down next to Hannibal who was breathing slightly.

 

“How did that feel?” Will genuinely wanted to know.

 

“…what do you think?” Hannibal said back playfully.

 

“…ah well…god…I’m so not use to this.” Will said has he slapped his forehead with his hand. Hannibal put his hand on Will’s face and caressed his cheek. He pulled the younger man in for a kiss. They lingered in the kiss for a while. Hannibal bit Will’s bottom lip as he caressed his partner’s lips with his own as well as his fingers.

 

They slid down together into the sheets and continued to kiss one another. Hannibal moved on top of Will and started to grind his hips into Will’s. The younger man responded by putting his hands on his partner’s hips and guiding their movement up against his own. Both Hannibal and Will moaned into each other’s mouths and as they explored each other’s bodies with their hands.

 

Hannibal slowly moved one of his hands to grip both his cock and Will’s. He proceeded to move his hand up and down both shafts as Will pulled him closer in the embrace. Hannibal could feel his companion’s hips grinding harder as he rubbed both of their cocks. The older man let go after a few more strokes and then let their hardening shafts rub up against each other on their own.

 

Will opened his legs and Hannibal settled into the position, grinding his hips harder and slower into Will’s. Will could feel his body getting tense as the sensation became extremely unbearable not to come.

 

“…god, I think…I’m going to come again…” Will breathed into Hannibal’s mouth. Hannibal responded by biting down hard on Will’s bottom lip. The older man could feel his own body tense up as well.

 

Suddenly, Hannibal’s stomach had Will’s cum all over it, which pushed Hannibal over the edge. He let out a release significantly more than when Will sucked on his cock.

 

Hannibal flipped onto his back to Will’s left. Both men were panting heavily from the sexual exchange.

 

“That felt…really...nice.” Will got out in between breaths. “I think that was the first time I’ve come twice…one right after the other…”

 

Hannibal turned his head toward Will. His hair was swooped down into his eyes and his arms were stretched out a bit beyond him. He bit his bottom lip as he smiled back at Will.

 

“…myself included, Will.”

 

* * *

 

_Flashforward to a few months after the dinner with Bedelia..._

 

“I know it’s Hannibal, Kade.” Jack was leaning up against his desk with his arms folded. He let his mind wander back to that night a few months ago...

 

Jack had tried calling Dr. Du Maurier a few times, but there was no answer. He finally sent an agent to her house when she didn't pick up the phone early in the morning. Jack remembered freezing in place when he was told that Bedelia was found dead in her bed. 

 

Kade Purnell was standing on the other side of the office looking unconvinced. “Hannibal is dead, Jack. They found his blood, as well as Will Graham's, on the edge of that cliff and if the analysis is correct, which it always is, no one could have survived a fall such as that one.”

 

“If we don’t have actual bodies, then we can’t presume they are dead.”

 

“Again, I’m letting you use agents to comb all shores in proximity in case _anything_ does show up. However, you know this Jack, they haven't found anything the last few months...they probably were consumed by ocean life. That’s a possibility.”

 

“Kade. We would find something, _anything_ , even if that happened.” Jack uncrossed his arms and walked up to the whiteboard with Hannibal’s copycat Triptych Artist tableau.

 

“These two were former patients of Hannibal’s. And you already know about Dr. Du Maurier.” Jack pointed at the photographs. He didn’t know why it was so difficult for everyone else to see that Hannibal was responsible for these murders. The man had fooled them before in the past, and he was capable of doing it again. Jack had learned his lesson and would not be fooled again.

 

“The evidence points to the _real_ Triptych Artist. Hannibal wouldn’t dare to kill anyone, much less three people, while on the run… _if_ he were on the run.” Kade responded.

 

“He has Will now.” Jack winced at the thought that Will might be complicit in Hannibal’s dealings. Unless Hannibal had killed Will as well. He wasn’t entirely sure. He thought back to the escape plan Will had orchestrated to capture Dolarhyde.

 

 _Was Will only trying to break Hannibal free?_ The thought tormented him.

 

Kade walked slowly toward Jack. “Jack, you got Dolarhyde and through proxy, Hannibal. You should be celebrating, not sulking.”

 

“If we don’t have the bodies, then they’re still alive. These murders are too much of a coincidence.”

 

“Jack...maybe you should take a break. Not a permanent break, of course. Just a few weeks, maybe, to clear your head. This case is eating away at you.”

 

Kade lingered a bit longer trying to appear sympathetic, but inwardly she was glad that she didn’t have to deal with Hannibal Lecter or Will Graham ever again. The planned escape did everyone a great service and they all could now move on with their lives. Kade turned around and left the office.

 

Jack stay perched on his desk a little longer, staring at the photographs on the whiteboard. The murders _were_ too much of a coincidence. The victims' connection to Hannibal was more than enough evidence for the FBI to widen their search party and look for Hannibal…and possibly Will…somewhere on ground near that cliff house.

 

He remembered Dr. Du Maurier implying that she thought Hannibal was still alive.

 

_And now she’s dead…he probably injected Will with the same drug he used on Miriam. That could only explain how he’s able to work so efficiently._

Jack knew the fall had to have caused serious damage to the two men. They weren’t far, but if the FBI hesitated, they would slip through their fingers.

 

Jack sighed, packed up his bag, and left his office to go home.

 

As he drove home, his mind was clouded with thoughts of Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham.

 

Jack pulled into his driveway and entered his empty cold house. There was no reason to keep the heat up any higher than 65 degrees while he was at the office. Bella had always liked it at a certain temperature, but with her gone it made no sense to turn up the heat higher that 65, anyway.

 

He made his way to his study. Jack set his bag down in his desk chair and took out the photos of the "Triptych Artist's" work.

 

_I know Hannibal had something to do with this._

 

After a few moments in silent thought, his desk phone rang.

 

Jack turned around and answered the phone. “Crawford.”

 

A raspy low voice filtered through the receiver. “Jack…it's Frederick...”

 

Jack straighten up on his desk in shock. He hadn’t spoken to Dr. Chilton since he visited the man with Will after he was tortured by Dolarhyde.

 

“…Frederick?”

 

Silence.

 

"…I know they’re alive...”

 

* * *

 

_Back to the Present_

 

Will woke up a little late the next morning after his intimate night with Hannibal. He stretched thinking of Hannibal’s cock in his mouth as well as the older man’s hips grinding against his own before falling asleep. Will’s favorite memory by far was the way Hannibal had looked at him after they came together from dry humping. Hannibal looked so sexy with his hair messily swooped into his eyes…biting his lower lip as he smiled back at Will…

 

Will sat up and noticed that Hannibal wasn’t lying next to him. The observation was quickly followed by tasty smells filtering down into the hull from the kitchenette. Hannibal was up cooking them breakfast.

 

Will got out of the bed and took a shower. He emerged from the bathroom about a half an hour later and made his way up to the kitchenette.

 

Will found Hannibal sitting at the table reading on his tablet. The older man looked up at Will and smiled. “Nice to see you finally awake.”

 

Will smirked back at Hannibal and proceeded to fix himself a breakfast plate. He sat down at the table with Hannibal.

 

“So how long do you plan for us to be floating along till we reach our destination?” Will asked as he shoveled food into his mouth. He didn’t realize how hungry he was.

 

Hannibal continued to smirk at Will as he watched his partner hunch over his food and completely disregard his manners. Only Will could get away with lacking decorum at the table.

 

“A few days. At the latest, we should be there by the end of the week. We’re meeting an associate of mine at a private dock and will be driven to our new residence.”

 

“…that…works...” Will managed between bites.

 

“Expect to go back to work on the first day. We don’t want to raise any red flags.”

 

Will sighed. “So, no vacation?”

 

“This boat ride is our vacation, my love.” Hannibal smiled back as he returned to reading on his tablet. Will tried not to let a surprised expression register on his face at the words “my love”. Although Hannibal had been playfully referring to him by cutesy relationship monikers up until last night, the events from last night put a different spin on their relationship and made everything feel more real than ever before.

 

Will quickly got up from the table so that Hannibal wouldn’t see his responding facial expression at the epithet. Will walked over to the kitchenette, finishing whatever was on his plate, and put the plate in the sink. He washed the plate before wandering outside on the deck to get some fresh air.

 

Will walked out onto the deck and gazed at the scenery. The boat had rounded the corner of Cape Lookout, North Carolina. There wasn’t too much to see there: mostly a small lighthouse and some shrubbery along the coast. But the water was a lovely hue of ocean blue that Will couldn’t help but stare at as the boat cut waves through the water.

 

Without notice, Will felt an arm wrap itself around his body. Hannibal pulled him in to hug him close against his own body. Will leaned into the embrace as Hannibal nuzzled his nose in his hair.

 

“…I do genuinely hope...that last night was…fine…” Will fumbled though as he felt Hannibal tighten his grasp around him.

 

“More than you could imagine.” Hannibal responded.

 

The younger man hesitated a moment before turning around to kiss his partner on the lips. The two men stayed in the embrace for a few moments before Will pulled away a bit to sit down on one of the built-in benches on the deck. Hannibal followed suit and sat down close to Will. He gazed at Will while he stroked the nape of the younger man’s neck. Hannibal had noticed at breakfast that something was bothering his partner.

 

“Is there something on your mind?” Hannibal asked after a few more moments of silence.

 

Will sighed. He didn’t want Hannibal to think he couldn’t make up his mind about what he wanted, but he felt it was best to be as straight forward as possible.

 

“I don’t know…what I should be doing…I feel juvenile.” Will admitted.

 

Hannibal continued to stroke the back of Will’s neck. “What do you mean?”

 

Will sighed again. “I…I’m not sure how…where our relationship is going. I’m on board, trust me…I’m just a little lost on how to express myself…if that makes any sense...”

 

Hannibal stayed quiet for a few moments before answering. Will felt a little silly for saying what he had just said. He felt as if Hannibal might think he was unsure about the way he felt toward the older man.

 

“Will, not only is this a new relationship, but it’s one you’ve never experienced before. So, it’s normal and completely valid to feel _lost_.” Hannibal turned a little more toward Will to cup the younger man’s face with both hands. “But, that won’t drive me away from you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

 

Will put his hand on Hannibal’s right hand and leaned into it. He appreciated that Hannibal took the time to be patient with him. He tilted forward and kissed Hannibal on the lips. Hannibal responded by kissing him back and letting his hands explore the younger man’s body. 

 

* * *

 

_The next morning…_

 

The boat had finally reached Cumberland Island, Georgia. Will had spent most of the previous day keeping to himself while Hannibal worked on setting up their residence in Havana, Cuba. Although the apartment Hannibal picked out was ready to be lived in, he wanted to wait until they arrived to finalize the décor. Will had sat out on the deck, watching the waves from behind the boat, admiring the landscape as they made their way to their new life. It was a little chilly most of the day from the wind, but he didn't mind feeling the breeze up against his face. It felt peaceful. 

 

Even though he was busy with the preparations for their arrival, Hannibal had reserved some time to relax with Will later last night. They both went down to the hull together to cuddle on the bed after Hannibal finished speaking with his associate who was the contact for their life in Havana. The two men laid on the bed talking about anything that came to mind: hobbies, favorite things in general, food, Havana. To Will, it felt as if they were a  _normal_ couple, as past events relating to the killing of Dolarhyde, Bedelia, and the Triptych murders faded to the back of his mind.

 

In the morning, Will woke up with his head on Hannibal’s chest. He had fallen asleep in that position with his body being cradled within his partner’s arms. Will thought Hannibal was still asleep as he let his head rise and fall with the older man's rhythmic breathing. Will gently pushed himself up, trying not to wake up Hannibal in the act, but he accidentally bumped his partner in the ribs as he straightened up.  

 

Hannibal groaned a bit as Will turned to face him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

 

Hannibal smiled slightly as he cupped Will's face with his right hand. Will had grown accustomed to Hannibal stroking his face in this matter for years. He cherished the feeling whenever it occurred.

 

"No I've been awake for a while." 

 

"You could have gotten up if you wanted to, Hannibal..." Will responded, blushing a little that Hannibal was cradling him for god-knows-how-long while he slept.

 

"I didn't want to wake you." Hannibal stroked Will's face with the edge of his thumb.

 

Will smiled and leaned forward to kiss Hannibal. Hannibal kissed him back as his hand on the younger man's face moved to the back of Will's neck. Will pulled back an inch. "...I-I love you..."

 

Hannibal brushed his nose against Will's with a slight smile. "I love you too, Will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Seven: Lust.  
> Will and Hannibal begin their new lives in Cuba. Both have high profile jobs and live comfortably. However, angst ensues when our favorite murder husbands have to deal with a colleague of Will’s who might have recognized himself and Hannibal. Hannibal and Will also discuss past hurt and mistrust.
> 
> Fortunately, this chapter ends with Hannibal and Will getting drunk and having shower sex. :D Classy, I know. 
> 
> Enjoy !
> 
> \--lady_slice
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	7. Lust..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal begin their new lives in Cuba. Both have high profile jobs and live comfortably. However, angst ensues when our favorite murder husbands have to deal with a colleague of Will’s who might have recognized himself and Hannibal. Hannibal and Will also discuss past hurt and mistrust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> side note: In one of Will's university lectures, he mentions a suspect that had sexual assaulted his victims. It doesn't go into detail, but I felt it was necessary to mention as a possible warning.
> 
> Hope you're enjoying yourselves :)
> 
> \--lady_slice

_About a few months later…_

 

Hannibal and Will had settled down nicely into their new home in Havana. They owned the top two floors to one of the restored historic residential buildings in the Playa borough of the city. The apartment was far enough away from the water to not be bothered by a constant stream of tourists, but close enough to get to after a short drive.

 

Hannibal had the fortunes to be promoted to the head curatorial position of the contemporary decorative arts department at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana (the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana) only after working there for about a month. Hannibal’s ability to work efficiently and charm the pants off the museum’s board members worked greatly in his favor.

 

Will managed to get through an assistant professorship at the University of Havana. It was similar to the gig he had the FBI academy; teaching classes on criminal psychology as a foundation course to the criminal justice program in the department of psychology. He had interacted a few times with the other instructors in the program, but only on a superficial level. Although his hesitance toward getting to know his colleagues was due partly to his social anxiety, Will was still getting acclimated to his new life, in Havana…with Hannibal.

 

The last few months since the boat ride had been wonderful. They had not, however, had the opportunity to hunt. It seemed as if there was never an opportune moment between settling in at the their respective jobs and Hannibal overseeing the interior decoration finishes in their home. Will tried to not get involved with that as much as possible -- he never cared nor thought he would be a contributing voice to critique the décor. He figured, soon, time would provide them with a suitable victim.

 

Both he and Hannibal had been intimate mostly every night since arriving. Will consistently thought about how exciting and a little nerve-racking it felt to be with Hannibal sexually finally after all those years of teasing each other. The intimidating part of their sexual experiences together stemmed from not being sure he was enough for Hannibal. Will was still hesitant to be fully intimate with his partner, yet he longed to go further with Hannibal. Most of their sexual interactions consisted of mutual masturbation, making out, and dry humping. It wasn’t anything Will couldn’t handle.

 

After kissing Hannibal when he killed Bedelia, Will realized that their most significant "sexual" experiences had been associated with the act of killing someone. Their sexual encounters after felt like an extension of those acts, yet not rooted in violent overtures since they hadn't had the opportunity to kill anyone together since. Everything after Dolarhyde and Bedelia felt more like 'normal' couple intimacy, but it was nice.

 

He looked forward to relaxing with Hannibal in the evenings. Both deeply active conversation and their sexual encounters had been bringing them closer than ever and Will could feel a strong lastly bond between himself and Hannibal.

 

However, he just couldn’t get his mind wrapped around having anal sex with Hannibal…well …not just yet. Hannibal had sensed this and gently guided him through every intimate experience. Hannibal only suggested whatever _he_ felt was comfortable for the younger man, but Will greatly appreciated it.

 

Will thought that maybe this week, finally, he would be comfortable enough to go further with Hannibal. He did love him greatly and wanted his companion to see that.

 

* * *

 

“The suspect feels impotent.” Will was standing in front of a lecture class at the University of Havana. Behind him was a display screen showing images of a serial murder case that had recently gone cold. The killer had been evading the authorities at the Internal Order and Crime Prevention sector of the Ministry of the Interior for years.

 

"He derives his power from subduing his victims, before violently and sexually violating them." Will clicked through the slides.

 

Young girls working the local prostitute districts were disappearing every week a few years ago. The Cuban police struggled to put together an adequate profile on the serial killer since his preference was only in the occupation of the girls, and not any other specific demographics. The killer also struck at random. It appeared that the killer was obsessed with capturing some mood of “innocence” in his work. The murder tableaus often look neatly staged and there was hardly any blood or other bodily fluids for the police to analyze.

 

Will continued to flip through more photos of the killer’s work as he turned around to face the class. Some of the students were visibly disturbed by the images, while others looked oddly transfixed on the murder tableaus. Will thought to himself whether or not those particular students had the capacity to become killers themselves.

 

“He redressed them in “proper” clothing, positioned them as “angels”, and took pictures of their "stolen" innocence. Our killer thinks that he is freeing them from the madness in this world.” Will walked behind his desk as he motioned air quotes around the words "proper" and "angels", and then walked over to the left side of the room before turning to face the projection as he motioned air quotes around the word "stolen". He clicked through the rest of the images, which displayed specific details from the murder scenes.

 

Will turned the lights back on in the lecture hall with his remote.

 

“Okay, that’s all I have for you today." Will concluded with his lecture. "Make sure to turn your papers in the _program_ designated office, not the _department_ office.” Will told his class. The students shuffled around, gathering their papers, books, and phones.

 

Will lingered, packing his own items away. This was his only class of the day (thankfully) and he planned to visit Hannibal at the museum for a lunch date, then go back to their apartment to work on term papers.

 

The lecture hall had emptied out by now, but Will could feel someone lingering behind him.

 

“Buenas tardes, professor Moreau.”

 

Will turned around to face the owner of the salutation. It was Robert Amador. Amador was a colleague of Will’s who worked in the psychology department as well as the criminal justice program. Will had only interacted with Amador once, at a staff meeting during his first week at the university, where he was forced to make introductions. But besides that, Will barely saw Amador.

 

Amador was staring intently at Will. Something felt _off_ about him.

 

“Buenas tardes, professor Amador.” Will reached out his hand for Amador to shake. He thought it would be best to seem less awkward than he currently felt, lest he raised red flags about his private life.

 

Amador took Will’s hand and firmly shook it. To Will, it felt as if Amador was trying to prove something.

 

“I heard the tail end of your lecture, Moreau. Very intriguing.” Amador leaned on one leg while positioning his arms and hands into a thoughtful position.

 

“Yes, I would say so. But it seems as if I’m losing half my class.” Will attempted to sound teasing in his tone, but it hinted at annoyance.

 

“Well, what do you expect when it’s close to break? Ah well, at least we’ll get to be off ourselves in a week or two.” Amador waved off his last statement. He continued to stare at Will, posed in his thoughtful position.

 

“That’s true.” Will grabbed his suitcase and turned toward the exit. “I would love to chat, but I must get on my way.”

 

Amador stepped to the side to let Will pass. He bowed a little with his hand stretched out. Will tried to shield his irritation at how whimsical his colleague appeared to be.

 

“Of course, I won’t keep you.”

 

“Buenas tardes, professor Amador.”

 

Amador lingered in the lecture hall as Will left.

 

“Buenas tardes…professor Moreau…” Amador grinned.  

 

* * *

 

 _A few hours later..._  

 

While at the museum, Will had received an email from his program director, inviting him to come out with the rest of the program instructors for a drink.

 

 _You should go. You might even have fun._ Will remembered back to Hannibal stating his opinion on the matter, wearing his conservation clothes while studying a piece of art. They had been alone in one of the museum’s conservation labs. Hannibal had explained to Will what the piece was, but the exchange with Amador a few hours before was still bothering him.

 

_I suppose you’re right…_

 

 _Is something distressing you?_ Will thought about how Hannibal, even when occupied with something else, was able to sense something bothering him. He appreciated it most of the time, but a few times more than not, it annoyed him. Especially when he was trying not to let the interaction ruin the rest of his day off.

 

_I’m alright, just tired. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home. I love you._

_I love you too, Will._

 

Will had been at their apartment for a while, trying to figure out what to wear to this colleague outing thing.

 

 _We’re just getting drinks, Will._ Will sighed in his head. He would never get used to having to attend social gatherings with people he hardly knew or cared about. However, he figured it would be best for his time here with Hannibal to make more of an effort socially. He assumed they would live in Havana for a while…at least a few years.

 

Will grabbed his phone and wallet, and left the apartment. The bar his colleagues had suggested going to wasn’t too far away from where he and Hannibal lived. So, he walked.

 

When he reached the bar, he could see his program director, and few other colleagues he knew, and Amador. Will’s stress level rose again, as he made his way over to where everyone was sitting. He tried not to look irritated, and by the looks of his colleagues, it seemed to work.

 

“Hugh! You made it. We were taking bets on whether or not you were coming.” Will’s other department colleague, Hanna Velasco, was grinning, waving for him to join them. Will liked Hanna. Hanna grew up in Holguín, one of the biggest cities in Cuba outside of Havana. She was completing a postdoc with the psychology department.

 

Will sat down in one of the two empty seats between Hanna and the Criminal Justice program director, Raúl Mora. Raúl was originally from a town outside of Havana. He was recruited by the university to start the Criminal Justice program about a few years ago.

 

"But we're glad you joined us, Hugh." Raúl added as he motioned for one of the waiters to take a drink order from Will. 

 

Even though he was at another table, Will had noticed that Amador was staring at him this entire time. He winced a little when he saw the man slowly make his way to their table.

 

Amador clapped Will on the back. “Well this is a nice surprise!”

 

Will tried not to let the others see his rapidly decreasing opinion of Amador register on his face. Amador kept his hand on Will’s shoulder. Will noticed and wiggled free from the clasp by letting Amador take the seat next to him.

 

“So, Hugh. I heard through the grape vine that your husband works at the national museum of fine art.” Hanna said as she took a sip of her rum and coke. Will knew people were interested in Hannibal, mostly in the art world, which also had connections to the university. Even the psychology professors heard of Romain Moreau.

 

“Yes, he seems to enjoy it.” Will responded.

 

“You should bring him by. Would love to meet this Romain Moreau.” Amador turned his body to look directly at Will. “People seem to be certainly charmed by him. Lucky catch, Hugh.”

 

“Well Hugh is quite charming himself!” Hanna retorted, then looked back at Will. “Sorry for overstepping boundaries.”

 

Will grinned. He appreciated the compliment. He didn’t care if more people were interested in Hannibal then himself. Hannibal could deal with the attention. Will also appreciated Hanna’s energy. She reminded him a lot of Beverly…

 

“Thanks, Hanna..” The proximity to Amador was making him nauseous. “I’m sure he’ll have time after this current project. The reception for this newest exhibit is next week, so he’ll be back to a somewhat normal schedule after.” Will straightened up a bit and shifted his body away from Amador.

 

One of the waiters brought over Will's drink order. Everyone sipped on their drinks for a few moments.

 

“So, how long have you been with your husband, Hugh?” Amador asked coolly. Will sensed Amador was trying to figure out the truth in an untold lie.

 

Will remembered back to his forged marriage papers with Hannibal. “About three years, but you know with these certain things, it feels longer.” Will waved the comment off, attempting to act cool about the inquiry.  

 

Hanna and Raúl chuckled, but Amador seemed unimpressed. Will could feel whatever was _off_ about Amador. He felt threatened. Amador moved closer to him to irk him even more. Will could feel him staring a hole in the side of his head, and he really had had enough of it.

 

Will chugged the rest of his drink. “You know, I should probably get going. Papers to grade.” Will took some cash out of his wallet and laid it on the table. Hanna looked crestfallen as he put on his jacket.

 

“Aw, too soon? We should do this next time for sure, Hugh. And with Romain!” Hanna smiled.

 

"Yes, definitely." Raúl motioned goodbye with his drink.

 

Will smiled back. “I’m sure he’ll be amenable to the idea.”

 

Amador continued to stare at Will, but he tried to not let it faze him.

 

“Yes, goodbye, Hugh. Next time.”

 

Will nodded bye and left the bar. He didn’t feel comfortable at all about the exchange with Amador, but he also thought it was something he could handle by himself, so he decided not to tell Hannibal.

 

* * *

 

_Later that night…_

 

“How was your outing?” Hannibal asked Will as he set down a dinner plate in front of the younger man. Hannibal had “whipped” together seared steak and polenta with chimichurri after coming home late from the museum. Will relished in thought about Hannibal managing to squeeze in a-more-than-decent meal every night considering how busy he was with his work. Will greatly admired it. It was one of things he loved about Hannibal the most: his passion.

 

Will brought his mind back to Hannibal’s question. “Uh, it was okay, I’ll care to admit.” Will waited for Hannibal to situate himself and motion to toast, before he started eating.

 

“Well that’s a good start.” Hannibal said after chewing a piece of the steak and taking another sip of the wine.

 

Will looked unperturbed by the comment while he silently chewed his steak. Hannibal was concerned that his statement wasn't enough to elicit a playful provocation from Will. The older man gazed at the younger man while his companion seemed to only be half present at dinner. Hannibal knew there was something bothering Will.

 

“Will…you can tell me what’s bothering you…” Hannibal said softly. He knew it annoyed Will whenever he tried to get him to open up when he didn’t want to, but something seem to be affecting Will greatly.

 

“Hannibal, I’m tired from today. I had to get up earlier than normal, teach a class, and then play nice with the people in my program. I’m super exhausted.” Will smirked playfully, finally. He was trying all that he could to not let Hannibal see what was bothering him.

 

Hannibal smiled slightly and nodded back, but Will could tell he was still unconvinced.

 

They finished their meal, talking mostly about the museum and Will’s lecture series, as well as reminiscing about their time on the boat together. Hannibal also mentioned having a quiet date night the weekend before his reception. Will felt appreciated that his partner carved out time to spend with him, even when occupied with museum work.

 

After they finished eating, Hannibal started clearing the dishes from the table. Will placed his plate in the kitchen sink and helped Hannibal clean up the rest of the kitchen. It didn’t take them too long to get into an established clean up routine after dinner. The ritual would be helpful when they started to hunt.

 

Hannibal dried his hands, and placed one on Will’s shoulder and squeezed.

 

“If you don’t want to talk about it, at least let me help you release the tension.” Hannibal smiled and Will smiled back. He put his hand on Hannibal’s hand. He moved his partner’s hand and put it around his own waist before using his free hand to pull Hannibal in. They both embraced each other, kissing the other in a long lingering kiss. Hannibal pulled his head away.

 

“Let’s go to bed.” Hannibal whispered.

 

“Okay, after you.” Will responded with a slight grin.

 

Will followed Hannibal into their bedroom. Once reaching their bed, Will took his house slippers off as he sat down. He watched Hannibal take his own clothes off. He started with his sweater, then his tie, and stopped while he was unbuttoning his dress shirt, when he noticed Will was staring at him. Hannibal looked back at Will.

 

“Just admiring the view.” Will said. He got up from the edge of the bed and walked over to Hannibal. He grabbed Hannibal by the waist and pulled in him for a kiss. Hannibal helped Will take off the rest of his companion’s clothes as well as his own and laid on the bed. The two men intertwined with each other.

 

Hannibal laid on top of Will, grinding his hips up against the younger man’s. "God you feel so good, Hannibal." Will whispered.

 

They were both wearing boxer briefs and their stiff cocks rubbed up against each other through the fabric. Hannibal moved his hand down, while kissing Will, to free both of their cocks from the clothing. Will let out a moan as Hannibal stroked his shaft up against his own. The feeling was so intense to Will, but he wondered if Hannibal felt the same way. He knew Hannibal wanted to go further, and if this was the night, then Will wanted to grant Hannibal’s wish.

 

Will stopped kissing Hannibal, and put his hands gently on his companion’s face. He looked up at him.

 

“Hannibal...I want you to fuck me tonight.” Will said as best as he could. He suddenly felt a wave of emotion from just kissing Hannibal. He couldn’t figure out why that was happening, but he felt vulnerable enough to be this intimate with Hannibal.

 

Hannibal looked a little puzzled. “Are you sure, Will?”

 

Will nodded his head with a small yes in response, and pulled Hannibal in to kiss him. Hannibal removed Will’s boxer briefs, and then his own. He then reached for the night stand and pulled out a bottle of lube. Hannibal positioned Will to lay flat on his back and slicked two of his fingers with the lube.

 

Will watched Hannibal as his companion stop short of entering him with his fingers.

 

"...are you ready?" Hannibal asked.

 

Will nodded again. His heart was pounding.

 

Hannibal entered Will with his fingers as slowly as possible. Hannibal could feel Will’s muscles fighting to push his fingers out. He knew Will wasn’t relaxed.

 

Will visibly winced. He knew he would never be ready for someone penetrating him the first time. His heart continued to pound from the sensation.

 

“Will.” Hannibal slowly stroked his companion’s forearm and kissed his neck. “Will, you have to relax your body. You’re pushing me out.” He said gently, albeit playfully with a smile on his face.

 

“Oh-oh…I’m sorry Hannibal.” Will responded and tried to let his body loosen up. It helped that Hannibal was stroking his arm now and lightly kissing his neck. It felt so nice and relaxing, that Will’s body slowly lost its tension.

 

Hannibal responded by pushing into Will a little bit further. Will could feel the older man scissor and rub his fingers inside of him, while bumping up against his prostate. The sensation felt so immense, a combination of a little bit of pain and pleasure. Will couldn’t really focus on which emotion he felt more. He held onto Hannibal as his partner caressed him with his fingers. Hannibal felt Will tense up a bit more and slowed down his fingers' pumping motion.

 

"Just relax, Will...I love you." Hannibal whispered.

 

Will finally completely relaxed and laid on the bed with his legs wide open and his hips tilted up as Hannibal fingered him. Will had closed his eyes to relax into the act. He heard the cap on the lube open again and not too long after, another finger entered his ass. The additional finger didn’t add too much more pain than he had already been experiencing. However, the pain was overpowered by the sexual energy being produced between himself and Hannibal. Will felt completely overcome by Hannibal fucking him with just his fingers.

 

"I-I love you too...Hannibal." Will responded.

 

Will felt Hannibal's fingers slowly retreat from his body. He opened his eyes and watched Hannibal slick his cock with the lube. Hannibal stopped and leaned over to kiss Will on his forehead. Will leaned into the kiss and reached up a hand to glide down Hannibal’s back.

 

Hannibal straightened up. “Are you sure you want to continue?”

 

Will nodded slowly. “Yes, I’m sure, Hannibal.”

 

Hannibal leaned back down again to kiss Will. Will kissed him back in a lingering kiss.

 

Hannibal straighten back up again and aligned his body with Will’s. Hannibal stroked Will’s hard cock first. He lifted the younger man's legs slightly before inserting his cock into Will’s ass. Will suddenly tightened up with the action, but Hannibal continued to stroke his arm, which it helped him to calm down.

 

“Let me know if I go too far.” Hannibal whispered. Will nodded back.

 

Hannibal lifted Will’s hips up with his hands and started to pump his cock in and out of Will. It felt overwhelmingly sensational on Will’s end. He could only manage how Hannibal felt. They stayed in that position for a while. Will’s hardening shaft leaked precum that Hannibal then used to glide up and down Will’s cock as he fucked him. Will gasped and moaned at both actions. He could feel his body tensing and felt Hannibal’s tensing as well.

 

Will couldn’t control himself and came all over Hannibal’s hand. The older man, in response, filled Will up with his own warm cum, while stroking Will’s now flaccid penis. Will held onto Hannibal as his companion came to join him, lying down on the bed.

 

“…that wasn’t too much, was it?” Hannibal asked as he caught his breath.

 

“…no…it was fantastic…” Will leaned over and looked at Hannibal. He had trouble remembering why he only, until a few months ago, saw how beautiful Hannibal was.

 

“…I’m glad.” Hannibal reached over and kissed Will. First time sex with Hannibal was a little painful, well little more painful than he expected, but it felt so good. Will began to feel more sure of himself.

 

Will and Hannibal intertwined in an embrace, as Will gain more control over his own sexuality and confidence.

 

* * *

 

_A few days later…_

 

Photo slides clicked back through images of the killer’s innocent angels. Will looked up at the images as he cycled through one at a time. They were mostly done analyzing this case, but Will was going over some important points for the semester final exam.

 

Will turned around to face the class. “We last left our killer with his need to extract fallen angels from this world. He believes it is his duty to do so. We know that this man feels impotent, however he is rational and efficient with his work. He-”

 

Will’s breath hitched as he noticed an unwelcomed familiar face. Robert Amador was sitting in the middle of the lecture hall smiling back at Will with a smug expression. Will kept himself from missing a beat during his lecture. He finished his sentence and turned back toward the screen.

 

There had to be a reason why Amador was so interested in him.

 

Will’s mind stopped and he froze in place. _What if he knows about Hannibal and I_?

 

Will thought quickly. There’s no way that the authorities could have caught up with them by now. But did Amador actually work for the police? That could only explain why the man harbored this strange interest in him. Amador must know something about Dolarhyde…but how? That case was kept pretty much under wraps before the Fall. But then of course, Jack must had figured out that he and Hannibal were still alive and had agents comb through all the possibilities.

 

_We only left blood at the cliff behind._

Hannibal and Will had cleaned the Montgomerys’ cabin thoroughly. And the cabin itself was well hidden, so it had to have taken the FBI a while to find the structure. By then, their trail leading to Hannibal and himself had long been cold. But what if they did figure out they were hiding in Havana? What if the FBI alerted the Cuban police?

 

What if he lost Hannibal?

 

 _Stop._ Will thought to himself. He regained control over his emotions and thoughts. He thought about what Hannibal would do in this situation.

 

Will looked back at Amador, smiled, and continued clicking through his lecture images.

 

He decided that he and Hannibal needed to kill Amador as soon as possible.

 

* * *

_That weekend…_

 

Wine or beer?” Hannibal held up an aged pinot noir and a bottle of Cacique, a local Cuban beer favorite, for Will to visibly choose from.

 

“I’m feeling fancy, wine works.”

 

Hannibal grinned as he popped out the cork of the pinot noir. He poured himself and Will a glass.

 

Hannibal walked over the glass to Will, who had been standing near one of the parlor room's windows, obviously occupied by something else. Hannibal had something weighing on his mind as well. He thought it was time for them to talk about some issues of the past that were not clearly talked through from before.

 

Hannibal stood by Will at the window for a few moments, engulfed in comfortable silence.

 

“Will, I think we should talk about Abigail.” Hannibal said slowly after taking a sip from his wine glass.

 

Will sighed and turned around from the window. “I thought we were going to have a _relaxed_ date night?

 

“I think we should talk about this …we’re in a good place right now.”

 

“Exactly. So, let’s talk about something else.” Will responded, turning back to face the window.

 

Hannibal decided to choose his words carefully. He knew Will didn’t want to hear it, but they needed to talk about Abigail to move forward. He knew their relationship could handle it, so he pressed Will.

 

“I wanted to apologize for what I did to you…I was hurt and I reacted inappropriately.” Hannibal finally admitted.

 

Will looked out of the window for a moment, then back down at his wine glass. He could feel his anger rising in him the way that it did when Hannibal confessed to fucking Bedelia, but the sensation was different. He placed his wine glass on a table by the harpsichord to prevent himself from breaking it. He slowly faced Hannibal.

 

“…you reacted _inappropriately_ …that’s an understatement.” Hannibal could see how angry Will had become from his admission. He expected his companion to get upset, but he didn’t realize _how_ upset he would be.

 

Hannibal stayed silent to let Will release his frustrations. He turned his body slightly away from Hannibal as he bit his bottom lip.

 

Will was so angry that Hannibal would bring up Abigail and that night before Hannibal left for Florence. He had already forgiven his partner for that, so they really didn’t need to talk about it.

 

Hannibal, considering how upset Will was suddenly, realized that maybe the younger man wasn’t over it and needed to let Hannibal know how angry he was with Hannibal destroying their potential family.

 

“…you ruined our family, Hannibal…” Will let out after a few moments of silence.

 

Hannibal looked down at his wine glass, visibly upset from the truth being said out loud. He didn't regret bringing up the past; he knew the truth would hurt, but they needed to talk about their relationship.

 

Will turned around slowly. “...I would have gone away with you, but…you knew…you knew that I was struggling with my own issues, but you decided to take matters into your own hands again...”

 

Hannibal stayed silent. Will was correct.

 

“…you were selfish, Hannibal. You did this when you wanted me to cross over, when you fled with Bedelia, and especially when you killed Abigail…you have to realize how much you've hurt me.”

 

“…Will…” Hannibal started slowly. Will wedged himself into Hannibal's personal space before he could finish his sentence.

 

“You don’t get to talk! The only reason why I forgave you and continue to forgive you because I love you. People make mistakes, and our relationship is no different...even given how unique it is...”

 

Will moved closer to Hannibal’s face. Hannibal could feel Will’s hot breathing emanating from the younger man's core filled with anger and hurt.

 

“...but you can’t do this to me again. You have to learn to be a better partner, Hannibal…”

 

Will walked away from Hannibal. He picked up his glass of the table near the harpsichord and walked over to another window. “...I have to learn to be a better partner as well…”

 

Will struggled to regain control over his emotions. He was in love with Hannibal. He wanted to be with him, but all the hurt of the past was still lingering despite the two men forgiving each other constantly. He was also annoyed that Hannibal would talk to him about this during a promised relaxed date night. He clinched his fists, then let them go. The past was a teaching moment, they would move on. He knew Hannibal loved him too and would never hurt him again.

 

Yet, Will was extremely frustrated with the exchange. He decided to act. A surge of energy and confidence ignited from their last sexual experience filled his core.

 

Will walked back over to Hannibal. The younger man grabbed Hannibal’s shirt and pulled him close enough to kiss him, but stopped so that their lips hovered over each other.

 

“Get in the bed and take your clothes off.” Will demanded.

 

Hannibal, somewhat startled, began to open his mouth to inquire about the sudden change in their conversation, but Will cut him off.

 

“Don’t speak. You still don’t get to talk.” Will pulled Hannibal in closer. His lips brushed the older man’s cheek as he settled near his ear. “After you undress, you will also keep your hands to yourself, understood?”

 

Hannibal nodded, fully compliant with Will’s demands. The former turned around and headed toward the bedroom. Will chugged the rest of his wine and started unbuttoning his shirt as he followed.

 

Will found Hannibal on top of the bed, fully exposed. Will stopped a few inches away from the foot of the bed and finished taking his clothes off, never removing his gaze off Hannibal.

 

After he finished taking his clothes off, Will got on the bed and knelt over Hannibal’s body. Will placed his fingers on his companion’s chest and stared at him. Hannibal could still sense that Will was upset with the heated conversation from out in their parlor. He acquiesced to letting Will do whatever he needed to in order to release his exasperation.

 

Will held Hannibal down with his left hand. The younger man spat saliva on two of his fingers of his right hand and slowly found Hannibal’s hole. Hannibal let out a small gasp from the action. Will then shoved his fingers inside Hannibal with only his salvia as lubricant. He wanted Hannibal to feel everything.

 

Hannibal moaned, certainly feeling everything. The act was a little painful, but sensational at the same time. 

 

Will wanted to fuck Hannibal with a mixture of pain and pleasure. It certainly wasn’t a hate fuck, he absolutely loved Hannibal, but he was frustrated with Hannibal’s past actions. It almost felt like angry make up sex instead. Much needed angry make up sex for the past issues of hurt and betrayal, to be exact.

 

Will pumped his two fingers in and out of Hannibal. Will had been so timid about getting this intimate with Hannibal before the two fucked for the first time earlier in the week. But after experiencing that level of vulnerability with Hannibal, Will wasn’t afraid to do anything with his partner. Hannibal had made him feel wanted and confident. Will felt that swelling of power, as he continued to pump his fingers in out of Hannibal.

 

Hannibal was moaning with pleasure, more than Will had ever heard him after their relationship turned physical.

 

Will wedged in another finger to join his other two, as Hannibal’s muscles tightened around him. Will thought about how great the sensation felt around his fingers. He also thought how much better it would be around his cock.

 

Will forced Hannibal to turned around on all fours, but kept his fingers inside of his partner. Will pulled out his fingers slowly, letting Hannibal feel the movement with every aching detail. He then straighten himself up and aligned his cock with Hannibal’s ass. He had done this before, obviously with a female partner, but this was different. Not only because it was another man he was about to fuck, but because it was Hannibal.

 

Will had thought about his sexuality a lot since the boat ride and arriving in Havana. He didn’t really _notice_ other men, beyond basic attractiveness, the way he would notice women he thought were sexually attractive. He thought maybe that was because he was with a man, and didn’t find anyone else attractive who was male. This of course didn’t make any sense since Will had found other women attractive when he was with a female companion.

 

No this with Hannibal was _different_. It felt beyond being sexually attracted to a specific gender. It must had been the feeling of finally finding someone who understands you, and Will was glad that he had found that in Hannibal. All of their past interactions made so much more sense when Will had finally come to terms with this realization. 

 

Hannibal moaned in pleasure, as Will pumped his cock in and out of partner’s ass. Will could feel every single one of Hannibal’s muscles tighten around his hard cock. The sensation was overwhelming, but in a good way. Will never thought he would be fucking Hannibal this way; it felt overly sexual to dominate Hannibal. He thought about the sensation he felt when Hannibal fucked him. The two notions were pushing Will over the edge.

 

Will could feel Hannibal tensing up, the way that he usually does before he’s ready to come. Will grabbed Hannibal’s thigh firmly.

 

“Wait to come after me, Hannibal.” Will demanded. Hannibal nodded as best as he could; the sexual feeling he experienced was pushing him close to the edge without giving in. However, Hannibal did derive pleasure in preventing himself from coming and he relished in Will forcing him to wait.

 

Will pumped harder for a few more seconds and finally let out his release in Hannibal’s ass. Hannibal could feel Will’s warm cum filling up inside of him. The older man came all over the bed sheets in thick ropes of cum. Will let go of Hannibal and let his partner turn around to face him on the bed. Will was still kneeling over Hannibal; their flaccid cocks, blushing red from their releases, rested on top of each other.

 

Hannibal breathed heavily. “…may I speak now?”

 

Will responded with a slight nod.

 

Hannibal took his time before speaking. He also waited until he could fully catch his breath. “…Will, I am truly sorry for the way that I treated you. I regret my decision to kill Abigail every day…

 

Hannibal cast his eyes downward. He could feel his eyes watering. "...it torments me and I have trouble understanding why you are even here with me now..."

 

Hannibal went silent again. He truly did have trouble believing why Will wanted to be with him. It pained him that he had hurt his partner so much in the past. He knew he would never hurt Will ever again.

 

Hannibal looked back up at Will. "…I will never hurt you again...I love you…”

 

Will looked downward at Hannibal. He could see in his companion’s eyes that he was truly sincere and felt tortured by his actions. Will reached out his hand and cupped Hannibal’s face.

 

“…I know, Hannibal. I forgive you. I’m sorry for hurting you as well..."

 

Will felt Hannibal lean into his hand as he stroked his companion's face with his thumb.

 

"...I won’t ever hurt you again, either. I’m so in love with you...”

 

Will pulled Hannibal up, kissed him, and gently pushed him up against the headboard of their bed. Both men stayed in the lingering kiss for a few moments. Will ground his ass and his cock slowly up against Hannibal’s body and Hannibal responded by caressing the younger man’s body everywhere he could. Will gently pushed Hannibal more up against the headboard as he felt his companion's body all over.

 

Hannibal pulled away a little to look at Will. “...may we continue date night?”

 

Will smiled back and cupped Hannibal’s face with both of his hands. “Yes, please.”

 

Will decided that he would tell Hannibal about wanting to kill Amador later, probably after the reception at the museum. He wanted to have a nice night with Hannibal the rest of the evening and thought it would be better for Hannibal to have a clear head not clouded by work at the museum.

 

 _Of course, he’s judgment wouldn’t be clouded._ Will thought to himself. He guessed he himself was exhausted from dealing with past issues already tonight, so he felt the need to just relax with his partner before Hannibal was consumed with work the beginning of the week.

 

Hannibal leaned over the bed and grabbed his clothes. He started to put on his sweater and boxers and tossed Will his shirt, as well as the younger man’s boxers.

 

“There’s a highly-recommended movie on Netflix I wanted to watch with you.” Hannibal said smiling.

 

Will pulled on his shirt after putting on his boxers and turned around with a small smile. “Sounds great. I’ll go get the rest of the wine.”

 

* * *

 

_A few days later, the night of the museum’s current exhibit reception…_

 

“It’ll only be for a few hours. And if it gets boring, which it most likely will, we can explore the city center.” Hannibal was straightening Will’s tie who looked a little anxious in the mirror. He wasn’t nervous to interact with Hannibal’s museum colleagues, he was mostly tired and exhausted from constantly thinking about the issue with Amador and keeping it from Hannibal. He would tell him tonight for sure. He knew Hannibal had noticed his increasing anxiety, but he wanted to wait till later, when they were both alone again, to talk about Amador.

 

He didn’t know why he still held onto the secret. He thought maybe he was waiting to tell Hannibal when they were alone and relaxed, which would hopefully be later tonight. He really didn’t want to stay at this exhibit opening longer than an hour for that reason. He also thought that maybe the hesitation stemmed from being paranoid about Amador and didn't want to constantly bog Hannibal down with concerns whenever someone bothered him.

 

Hannibal finished straightening Will’s tie and moved out of the way so that Will could see himself. 

 

Will had let Hannibal dress him for tonight. He knew his companion _loved_ picking out his clothes. He thought back to an hour and a half earlier when he was sitting on the bed watching Hannibal mix and match accessories and items of clothing from his closet. 

 

_I don't remember picking out any of these clothes..._

 

_I took the liberty to choose some things for you before arriving in Havana._

 

_Okay, well, that explains it._

 

“Well at least I’ll look more put together from just being married to you.” Will turned his body slightly, looking at the combination Hannibal put together. It wasn't _so_ horrible.

 

“Well I hope you’re getting a lot more out of our union than just that.” Hannibal said playfully as he handed Will his jacket and picked up his own.

 

* * *

 

Will had just finished listening to a museum donor droned on and on about her purebred Afghan Hound. Will loved dogs, but it was too much to hear how uppity the woman sounded. Hannibal was more than a perfect gentleman as he listened to her speak. The older man had wrapped his arm around Will’s waist, which sent calm energy toward Will and he grimaced less than he would have.

 

Will had excused himself after a while, and mentioned he was going to find the restroom. Will actually just wanted to explore a bit while catching some air away from the crowd of people. Hannibal had taken him on tours through the museum a few times before, but Will wanted to see if he could find any of the art work waiting to be displayed. If anyone caught him, Will smirked, he would take advantage of being married to one of the head curators.

 

Will found the door to an unfinished exhibit opened and walked in. He stood around and admired the work that was going on. The door should have been locked, but whoever had left the space last must have left quickly for the reception and forgot to lock the door. Will stood and let his eyes wonder everywhere.

 

Suddenly he felt someone behind him. It didn’t feel familiar, so he knew it wasn’t Hannibal.

 

Will turned around and faced Robert Amador.

 

 _How did you get in here_? Will thought to himself.

 

“Robert.” Will acknowledged. Amador had started to call Will by the first name of his false identity, so Will reciprocated to appear unbothered.

 

“Hugh, nice to see you!” Amador walked into the unfinished space. He sauntered around to admire the painted walls and then headed straight for Will.

 

“I thought I would run into you here...being that your husband is the star of the night. Great show.”

 

Will backed away a little. “Thanks, I’ll be sure to let him know.”

 

Amador smirked. “Hugh, we should just cut to the chase.”

 

Will looked cautiously at Amador, gathering information from his colleague’s insinuation.

 

“And what would that be, Robert?”

 

Amador waited, dramatically. Will thought how everything must be so over the top with this man, even potential blackmail.

 

“I know who you and your husband are, Hugh.” Amador stood in his pose a little bit longer. “I know your _real_ names.”

 

Will waited, looking unfazed, but internally, tensing from the provocation.

 

Amador continued. “Your name is Will Graham and your husband’s real name is Hannibal Lecter. The FBI think you’re dead. But, obviously, you two are alive and well, wreaking havoc on our poor city.” Amador gestured with a hand over his chest at the phrase "poor city". 

 

Will at first, was shocked by the deduction, but regained control over himself quickly. He would not let Amador see him squirm.

 

Will thought back to his last intimate night with Hannibal. He should have told his companion then what was going on with Amador. The man had boldly crossed over into their territory. He wanted to leave the reception and tell Hannibal as quickly as possible about this issue. But he could handle it on his own right now.

 

“…aren’t you a top-notch detective?” Will said coolly. He eyed Amador, waiting for his next move. Amador walked up swiftly to Will, almost penetrating Will’s personal space.

 

“I won’t go to the police with the information that I know…if you accept my proposition...” Will could feel Amador’s breath on his skin. From his body language and behavior from before, Will surmised that Amador must be talking about sexual blackmail of some sort to withhold the information from the police. He was extremely disgusted by the way this man was trying to take advantage of his and Hannibal’s current situation. He knew they needed to kill him soon.

 

Will stood unmoved by Amador’s proposition and his colleague’s attempt to appear intimidating. He wanted to kill him right there in the unfinished exhibit space.

 

“Am I interrupting anything?” Both Will and Amador turned to see Hannibal across the room watching them. Will wasn’t sure how long Hannibal had been standing there.

 

“Aw, Romain. I was just talking to your husband about a lecture he gave the other day…that I had the pleasure to witness.”

 

Amador looked at Will then back at Hannibal. “But I really should be getting back to the reception, excuse me.” Amador walked passed Hannibal and grinned as he left the room.

 

Will sighed and looked at Hannibal. His companion didn’t seem _too_ irritated, but then again, sometimes Will couldn’t tell.

 

“Was that the source of your anxiety these past few days?” Hannibal asked after a few moments, referring to Amador.

 

“Hannibal I meant to tell you. I wasn’t sure how to bring up the situation without causing unfounded paranoia.” Will shrugged.

 

“… _unfounded_ …? From what I heard and personally _witnessed_ , it sounded as if he was attempting to solicit sexual favors to keep from informing the police.” Hannibal said coolly. Will could hear a hint of annoyance in Hannibal’s voice.

 

Will sighed again. “You heard that part?”

 

“Will, I heard everything.”

 

 _Damn his light step._ Will thought to himself.

 

“You should have come to me earlier. What happened to us be better partners?” Hannibal asked gently. To Will, Hannibal sounded poised, but he could tell that his companion was slightly hurt that he hadn’t consult him at all since his first run in with Amador. Whenever that was, Hannibal thought to himself.

 

“Okay…okay, I know you’re right, Hannibal.” Will thought back to when they staged Bedelia’s murder to copy the Triptych Artist and how annoyed he was when Hannibal didn’t include him in on the plan. He knew he was doing the same and knew he needed to make it right. 

 

Will walked up to Hannibal. “Can we go please? I don't want to talk about it here.” Will put his hand on Hannibal’s arm to show that he was truly sorry about keeping him in the dark about Amador. Hannibal stroked Will’s hand back to acknowledged that he had forgiven the younger man.

 

They left the room together with Will gently holding onto Hannibal’s arm.

 

* * *

 

_A few hours later…_

 

“Wait…wait…shooo!” Will hushed Hannibal loudly in his ear. Both Hannibal and Will left the reception after Hannibal finished introducing him to the most important people who worked at the museum, including his new assistant curator, Sebastián Soto. Will couldn't deny the fact that he thought Sebastián was attractive, actually extremely attractive. He felt a little bothered that someone like that was working so close with Hannibal, but he brushed it off.

 

After the reception, Hannibal and Will had decided to go to the city center and see what the night life was like. They might have had too many shots…

 

“Will, you’re the one shouting.” Hannibal said back playfully, holding on to Will to keep himself up. Will just laughed back at him as he struggled to find the key to their apartment. Hannibal chuckled as Will kept dropping the key, but managed to catch the key in midair every time.

 

Hannibal took the key away from Will and opened the door for them. They both almost fell over each other, but Will grabbed Hannibal and pushed him up against an empty wall. Most of the surfaces in their apartment were covered with some sort of decoration, chair or table. Will pushed up against Hannibal as he ground his hips up against his companion's and caught him in a lingering kiss. Will pulled down on Hannibal’s dress shirt has he fought to keep himself from falling over.

 

Hannibal held onto Will’s jacket while he kissed him back. They both stood there like that, well fumbling there like that, for a while before Will spoke up.

 

“Let’s take a shower.” Will smirked as he leaned hard away from Hannibal, using his companion’s shirt to keep himself from toppling over completely. Hannibal nodded his head and followed Will into their bedroom. They both tore each other’s clothing off while drunkenly kissing each other. Will pried himself away to turn on the shower.

 

As soon as the water hit Will’s head, his body was swiftly turned around and he looked down to observe Hannibal on his knees. Hannibal wasted no time in taking a hold of Will’s cock and stroked it with the help of water and soap. Will moaned while he had to hold himself up in the shower by bracing the side walls with his hands. He almost fell over on top of Hannibal.

 

Hannibal slipped forward and Will laughed as he caught the older man before he tumbled completely over. Hannibal regained his balance and replaced his hand with his mouth, moving up and down Will’s shaft slowly. Will grabbed Hannibal’s hair and braced himself up against his companion. It didn’t take Will long before he came into Hannibal’s mouth. Will pulled Hannibal up to meet him with a kiss. They stood against each other losing themselves in the kiss.

 

Will broke away from the kiss. “Hannibal, I want you to fuck me.”

 

Hannibal responded by grabbing Will and setting him on top of a protrusion in the shower used to hold their shower items. Will’s ass knocked over all the shampoo, body wash, and some expensive moisturizer Hannibal bought Will that the younger man hardly used. He let Hannibal raise his legs and lean him backward, as his companion aligned himself, then jammed his cock into his ass. Will moaned at the entrance and squiggled a bit. Hannibal held onto him tightly, albeit gently as he pumped himself in and out of Will. Hannibal was amazed, even through his drunken haze, how well Will was taking to him fucking him so hard.

 

Will held onto Hannibal while he shuddered with ecstasy. He could feel Hannibal lightly shaking as well, feeling his companion’s usual ritual of tensing his muscles prior to coming. Hannibal let his release fill Will and the two men stayed embracing each other on the shower protrusion. Hannibal held out a hand to help Will up and they stood kissing each other in the shower for a few minutes longer.

 

They both stumbled out of the shower still holding onto each other. Hannibal grabbed some towels as Will led him back to their bed. He playfully threw one at Will before the younger jumped onto the bed. Hannibal liked to keep their sheets looking “nice”, and the annoying habit was still evident in his drunken state. Will dried himself off and laid on top of the bed. Hannibal joined him.

 

“…Hannibal. I’m sorry again for keeping you in the dark. I couldn’t find the right moment to talk to you.” Will sighed, as he relaxed up against Hannibal. Hannibal wrapped his arm around Will and stroked the younger man’s arm.

 

“Will, it’s in the past now. You're talking to me about it now. It’s just a learning moment for our relationship.”

 

The two men stayed quiet, posed in a loving embrace on their bed.

 

“I think we should kill Amador.” Will said finally.

 

Hannibal nuzzled his face in Will's hair before lifting his head up to respond. 

 

“I agree.”

 

* * *

 

Frederick Chilton sat in a wheelchair, staring out at his property. He was still in recovery from his run in with the Tooth Fairy. The pain lessened every day, but it was still very much unbearable. Frederick was internally angry with what Will had done to him and was just angry with Hannibal in general. He wasn’t afraid that the two would come after him, in fact, he knew that both men had fled the states a few months ago. Frederick thought to himself ways he could exact revenge on both Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter.

 

“Dr. Chilton. A letter for you, sir.” Frederick’s nurse appeared on the balcony and handed the doctor an envelope.

 

“Thank you.” Frederick slowly took the envelope. The envelope had been mailed from Havana, Cuba. Frederick took his time opening the envelope. He was getting better at doing small tasks on his own, but even sometimes, opening an envelope was painful. He freed what looked to be a newly developed black and white photograph.

 

Depicted in the photograph was Hannibal and Will, talking to a woman at what appeared to be some sort of social gathering, with their arms around each other.

 

Frederick smirked to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Eight: Anger.
> 
> “The Number of the Beast Is 666” revisited and Present Day
> 
> Frederick Chilton has recovered mostly from his burn wounds. He’s hell bent on finding Hannibal and Will.
> 
> Also, Will struggles with issues of jealously while dealing with his pestering colleague, Robert Amador (they need to hurry up and kill this guy already!).
> 
> As always, happy shipping, fellow lovely shipmates <3
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	8. Anger.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The Number of the Beast Is 666” revisited and Present Day
> 
> Frederick Chilton has recovered mostly from his burn wounds. He’s hell bent on finding Hannibal and Will.
> 
> Also, Will struggles with issues of jealously while dealing with his pestering colleague, Robert Amador.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy shipping, Fellow shipmates :)
> 
> \--lady_slice
> 
> side note: To get the translations for the Spanish, just click on the sentence and the translation will open up in another window (I just put all of the translations on one page in a separate link, so readers could keep that window open and read it along with the story).
> 
> Also a big thanks to MidderDahmer who edited my Spanish :)

_Present Day_

 

Centro Havana.

 

The Centro Havana neighborhood was known for its vast collection of eclectic architectural treasures, as well as for the rapid loss of these historic buildings from heavy rains and minimal conservation upkeep from the government.

 

Any amount of rain would cause severe damage to buildings that could not support the extra weight, resulting in many structures collapsing immediately after the rainy season. This cultivated an area that resembled more of a war-torn country, then a prestigious historic neighborhood.

 

Centro Havana was also a place where tourists were encouraged not to travel to; the government did not want to be responsible for any foreign tourists being taken advantage of in their country. The recommendation to avoid this area was to be presented as the government acting _somewhat_ on behalf of foreign tourists and their travels, so it could claim that it was not liable when something inevitably happened to a tourist who did not heed its warning.

 

A man wearing a grey hoodie and dark sunglasses dodged potholes and trash along the slightly hilly streets through Centro Havana to one of the many deteriorated historic buildings. The man slid passed a few people gathered at the entrance of a building painted turquoise on its piano nobile. The building's upper half was once painted white, but now the previous matted white surfaces were riddled with cracks and missing paint chips. He walked passed the bar inside, acknowledged the bartender with a slight nod, and continued toward the back where there were a few offices.

 

The man in the hoodie walked passed a few of the offices, most of which were completely empty and stopped at one at the end of the hallway. He knocked on the chipped door.

 

[“¿Qué deseas?”](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes) A guff voiced penetrated through the door.

 

[“Soy yo, Ramón, ¿Puedo entrar?”](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes) The man in the hoodie answered.

 

[“Ah, si.”](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes)

 

The man in the hoodie opened the door and faced Ramón, who was sitting with his feet propped up on his desk. The office was so small that there was only enough room for Ramón to wiggle passed his desk and out the door. It would be easier for him to do so if he got ride of the couch wedged on the opposite side of the office, but he used the couch to "receive" his clients.

 

[“¿Qué tienes para mí?” ](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes)The man in the hoodie asked trying not to twist his face as the smoke from Ramón's cigar assaulted his nostrils when he attempted to move closer to the desk. 

 

Ramón gestured for the man in the hoodie to come closer than he already was to the desk as he handed him a note. The man in the hoodie took the note and opened it. It had an address scrawled on it.

 

[“¿Qué es el trabajo?”](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes) The man in the hoodie inquired.

 

Ramón took a long drag from his cigar before speaking again. [“Seguir observándolos…por ahora.”](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes)

 

_The next morning…_

The man in the hoodie jammed himself in a small alley between two buildings across the street from the address on the note. He remarked to himself how nice the houses looked in the historic district of the Playa neighborhood and wondered how much it would cost to live here.

 

_[Más de lo que Ramón me paga, seguro. Bastardo barato…](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes) _

 

The man in the hoodie looked at the note in his hand then back up at the residence. He watched as both Will and Hannibal exited the targeted building. The two men kissed each other and then walked in opposite directions. The man in the hoodie pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a better look at the two, first watching Hannibal walk away and then training his focus on Will.

 

“[Te tengo](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes).” The man in the hoodie said to himself.

 

* * *

 

_Previously that Morning…_

Will stood in front of the bedroom full length mirror, adjusting his tie. It was the middle of the week and he dreaded spending the rest of it at work. It was getting closer to break at the university, which meant that Will and his colleagues had a mile high stack of papers to read through while preparing themselves for the crush of final exams. He was also growing anxious about dispatching with Amador as quickly as possible, but he and Hannibal needed to come up with a solid plan first before acting.

 

_I'm going to take an hour to myself before getting to those papers...then maybe I'll reward myself with more quiet time after...maybe finish that book I've been wanting to start...just to calm my nerves..._

 

He paused.

 

_...my nerves are a little shot...leading up to this thing..._

 

Will finished adjusting his tie before leaning over to grab his suit blazer from a chair next to the mirror. Suddenly, he heard a stream of loud steady vibrations pulsating from Hannibal’s phone on the dresser. From the number of vibrations, Will thought maybe there was an emergency at the museum, so he walked over to hand Hannibal his phone, who was in the bathroom taking a shower.

 

Will looked at the phone. The messages were all from Sebastián Soto, Hannibal’s assistant curator. Will fought back a tinge of jealously…of course Sebastián would be constantly contacting Hannibal, they were busy putting together a presentation for the museum board to request more funding for the decorative arts department. Strictly professional.

 

Yet, Will couldn’t handle his swelling emotions. A lump in his throat emerged and he found it difficult to swallow it back down. Will felt silly for feeling this way. Hannibal would _never_ cheat on him. Also, he knew that if that _were_ the case, Hannibal would be straight forward if anything were happening between himself and someone else. But for some reason, Will couldn’t shake the feeling. He had only met Sebastián once, at the last exhibit opening, since moving to Havana. He thought it was a little strange they hadn’t had dinner together or even drinks…?

 

_…is Hannibal hiding something from me?_

 

Will dropped Hannibal’s phone abruptly, when he heard the shower stop running. He tossed the phone around nervously trying to grab it and place it back where it had been on the dresser, before Hannibal caught him looking at it. He struggled to regain himself as Hannibal walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

 

Will sat on the bed; feigning an innocent expression. Hannibal greeted him with a playful quizzical smirk.

 

“What? No coffee?” Hannibal asked as he dried his hair with another towel.

 

“Oh!” Will shot up from the bed, but was gently caught in mid stride. Hannibal pulled him in closer as he wrapped an arm around the younger man’s waist.

 

“I was kidding, Will. You’re always rustling about before leaving for the university. Our whole apartment usually smells like that coffee you _enjoy_.” Hannibal, with a frisky smile on his face, moved in closer to kiss Will. Will accepted and placed his right hand on Hannibal’s cheek as he used the left to drag Hannibal onto the bed with him.

 

The two men landed on the bed with Hannibal on top of Will. Will yanked Hannibal’s towel off and flipped him over so that he was now on top. The younger man hurriedly pulled down his pants and boxer briefs to expose his cock. Will started to grind his hips into his companion’s which elicited a very satisfying moan from Hannibal that couldn’t help but make Will rock hard. They stayed in this position for a few moments, fiercely brushing each other lips in a lingering kiss, while dry humping the fuck out of each other.

 

“…I should be getting dressed-” Hannibal attempted to say in between kisses, but the statement was drowned out by Will’s lips.

 

“...I know you have a few minutes.” Will said back. Hannibal acquiesced by moaning into Will’s mouth and grinding his hips up against Will’s. Will could feel his partner tensing, so he reached for a few tissues from the night stand to cover Hannibal’s cock before the older man came. Hannibal, in a brief fit of passion, grabbed onto to his younger partner as he came into the tissues. Will left warm wet kisses on his chest.

 

Hannibal watched Will get up from the bed, pull up his boxer briefs and pants, and deposit the tissues. “Well that was a nice surprise.” Hannibal said after a few moments.

 

Will turned around after straightening himself up in the mirror. “What do you mean?” He responded with a slight smile.

 

“As mentioned before, you’re usually on the go.”

 

“You mean late.” Will smiled back and returned to face the mirror. “For once, I am early and I wanted to spend the extra few minutes on you.”

 

Hannibal grinned. “Well I greatly appreciate it.” Hannibal straightened up from the bed and proceeded to finish dressing for work. He walked over to the closet and pulled put the outfit he had already picked out for today from last night.

 

“…oh, by the way, your phone was buzzing nonstop while you were in the shower.” Will walked over toward Hannibal to hand him his phone.

 

Hannibal sensed a slight change in Will's mood as the younger man handed him the phone. He took note of it when he saw a constant stream of text messages from Sebastián.

 

Hannibal took a moment to gloss over a few of the messages. “It’s about our board meeting.”

 

“Does this mean you’re going to be late tonight?” Will asked as he made his way out of the bedroom into the kitchen to make coffee. It took all his mental and physical strength not to appear annoyed with the messages.

 

“Not too late I hope!” Will heard Hannibal shout from the bedroom. Will turned on the coffee maker and stood in front of it, staring at nothing, thinking about Hannibal being at the museum late with Sebastián. He hadn’t realized he had zoned out for a few moments until he felt a hand squeeze his right shoulder.

 

“Will, did you hear me?”

 

Will looked back at Hannibal before turning back toward the counter to put cream and sugar in his coffee. “Uh, no sorry.”

 

Hannibal watched Will as the younger man gathered his lunch out of the fridge and screw on the top to his travel mug. “I said that I’m going to try to come home as early as possible to make up for the past two nights I worked late.”

 

“But you need to finish your presentation.” Will responded as he headed for the door. He knew the board meeting presentation was important for the museum, but he also needed to hear whether or not Hannibal _wanted_ to stay at the museum instead of coming home early. He knew it was childish to think so, but he was annoyed with the fury of messages.

 

Hannibal gathered his things and followed Will to the door. “I can work on the rest of it here and have Sebastián call me when needed.”

 

Will regained control over his annoyance about the messages. He began to sense that Hannibal was sincere about coming home as soon as possible. Also, he didn’t want Hannibal to pressure him about something he knew himself to be silly and unfounded. “Whatever you need to do to get your presentation done, Hannibal. I can even make dinner if you want.” Will was mostly joking about the cooking part.

 

Hannibal smiled back. To Will, it appeared as if his companion bought that he was fine. “Well if you want to.” Hannibal smirked, knowing that Will was mostly joking about the cooking part.

 

Will led the way out of the apartment, down the stairs, and out the front door. He kissed Hannibal goodbye. “I love you, Will.” Hannibal said through the kiss.

 

“I love you too, Hannibal. Call me later.”

 

Both men turned around and walked in opposite directions to their respective places of work.

 

* * *

 

_Meanwhile, back in the states…_

 

Fredrick had wanted to die.

 

He could still feel the medicinal fluids hitting and stinging his burnt flesh. The feeling had been unbearable; he was incredulous that he had survived. Frederick thought constantly about his extended stay in the burn ward of a private hospital. His mind played over and over the memories of the nurses tending to his burns. Every action and response to and from his body was incredibly painful. Every moment was a challenge, a consistent struggle not to give up completely and beg the hospital staff to let him die in peace.

 

However, one single act kept him motivated to continue the burn treatments: the "deaths" of Hannibal and Will. He remembered back to a phone call he had received from a former colleague who now worked at the FBI with Kade Purnell and Jack Crawford on the case. That was the same day he had decided to quit with the burn ward procedures and die at home. When his colleague told him about the disappearances, Frederick _knew_ that there was something crucial missing from the FBI conclusion surrounding Hannibal and Will's presumed deaths. So he fought the urge to die and did some digging of his own.

 

Frederick was now sitting at his desk in his study. He was living at his home outside of the city until he completely recovered from a skin graft procedure from about month ago. The entire skin graft procedure was to be done in a series of stages, so that the doctors could judge whether his body was accepting the grafts properly. He also received lip implants to replace the ones that were torn away from his face by the Tooth Fairy all those months ago.

 

Frederick was looking at himself in a tiny mirror he kept in his desk. His body had formed "nicely" with the first layer of skin graft, yet he knew he would never look like his former self. The thought angered him, immensely. Frederick slammed the mirror down onto the desk in frustration and huffed in vexation at his current predicament. He had been thinking constantly about Hannibal since the incident with the Tooth Fairy. He couldn’t believe that the FBI was dragging its feet trying to catch this man. Hannibal Lecter was alive and well. And Frederick had proof.

 

Frederick pulled out the photograph sent to him depicting Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. He stared at the photograph trying to comprehend the gravity of his decisions. Fredrick managed to track down Lecter and Graham through an anonymous source in Havana. He knew of a business man who hired out contracted hits for the right price and wired the man money to have one of his associates track down and watch Hannibal and Will's every move. He kept the information to himself, however. He didn’t want anyone else to fuck up his plan.

 

 _If you must do something right, you have to do it yourself._ Frederick thought to himself.

 

Frederick knew from the _very_ beginning that Hannibal was a serial killer. He didn’t buy into Hannibal’s charms, like Jack and Alana, who ended up paying greatly for _not_ suspecting Hannibal from the very beginning. It slowly killed him from the inside that _he_ was consistently punished for getting close to revealing Hannibal’s true identity.

 

 _Cannibalism is an act of dominance._ Frederick thought back to a conservation he had had with Jack Crawford at a dinner party hosted by Hannibal when he first suspected him of being the Chesapeake Ripper.

 

_Needless to say, I will not be eating the food._

 

Frederick knew back then that it would take more to convince the FBI of Hannibal’s identity. If only Hannibal hadn’t manage to wiggle himself out of every _single_ situation…or have help from Graham, which seems to have been the case for a while now. They were all too blind to see what was going on between these two men.

 

_They must had been fucking long before their disappearance, before Hannibal fled for Florence, and long before Graham was mistaken for the Chesapeake Ripper…that only explains why they’re on the run together now._

Frederick tried not to obsess _too much_ over Hannibal and Graham’s perceived relationship from the photograph, but it wasn’t difficult to deny that the two men were close. It wasn't too much of a leap either to suggest that if they hadn't been fucking before, they most definitely are now. The positioning between the two men in the photograph suggested an intimacy that was unmistakable. It greatly annoyed Frederick that Graham and Hannibal ended up together and that the FBI couldn't catch them.

 

He thought back to that night at the dinner party.

In his mind, Frederick could see clearly the face off between Hannibal and himself in the former gentlemen’s home. Jack had left with a plate of hors d'oeuvres that he planned to have tested following Frederick's suspicions of Hannibal’s cannibalism. Hannibal could sense that Frederick knew, yet Frederick could not convince the others of what he saw. The gleam in Hannibal's dark round eyes hinted at something sinister; a darkness that Frederick was disturbingly intrigued as well as disgusted by. He wondered if Graham was capable of what they had seen from Hannibal in the past. 

 

Frederick’s mind wandered back to when Hannibal attempted to frame him for the murder of two FBI agents in his own home. He could still smell the stench of dead bodies and blood pouring out from his kitchen upon discovering a disemboweled agent on one counter and another resembling the Wound Man. Abel Gideon’s half eaten body was also discovered in Frederick’s home. He remembered not being able to control his gag reflexes when Gideon's body passed him on a gurney before the FBI agents shoved him into the back seat of a police car.

 

The FBI had thought they found the Chesapeake Ripper at last.

 

Frederick winced at the memory of reluctantly visiting Graham’s house to let the man know that he was right all along about Hannibal. Graham had other designs though. Frederick knew from that point on that the younger was not to be trusted. Graham had called the FBI and effectively had a hand in turning Frederick into the main suspect in the Chesapeake Ripper case. Under the whims of Hannibal, Frederick presumed. 

 

_That bastard got away._

Frederick could still hear the voice of the Tooth Fairy…well, the Red Dragon, in the dark reaches of his mind. He shuddered. His tormentor's raspy speech haunted him for months during his recovery. He truly thought that was the night he was going to die. During recovery, he experienced insistent nightmares in which the covered face of the Red Dragon would change to the face of Hannibal. The scene would replay over and over in his head, with _Hannibal_ tearing away his lips and _Hannibal_ setting his body on fire. These nightmares would end with Hannibal gazing at the blaze engulfing Frederick's body while laughing manically.

The episode laid the basis for his hatred toward Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, and the confirmation of knowing that they were alive ignited it. Now, Frederick struggled against the whims of his body and fought to live. The anger that blinded him, fueled his rage, provided the foundation for a plan to catch Hannibal and watch him die.

 

Only he was capable of destroying Hannibal...Hannibal would not escape.

 

Frederick smirked at the thought of adding Hannibal to his list of skin donors. He took advantage of having the past few months to recover from his burns to think of creative ways to torture Hannibal.

 

Maybe he could subject Hannibal to a few of the fates he found himself in? His entrails pulled out, gun shot wound to the face, or…burned alive? Of all of the possible methods, Frederick wanted to make sure that Hannibal _did not_ survive whichever means of death he chose.

 

His plan would be to fly to Havana himself and murder Hannibal.

 

_This time he will not get away._

 

* * *

 

_Back in Havana…_

A cab pulled up just outside of the Comandancia de la Policia Nacional Revolucionaria de la Habana (The Headquarters of the National Revolutionary Police of Havana). Will paid the cab driver and walked up swiftly to the building. Well, to be more specific, architecturally, the police headquarters resembled a Spanish colonial fortress. First built in 1588 and now in use by the Havana police, the structure was impressive in scale and beauty. Will couldn't help but stare at the fortress for a little while before entering. He had googled images of the building before visiting to make sure he arrived at the correct place, but the photos he saw did not give the structure justice.

 

Visitors were not usually permitted inside the fortress, but the university’s psychology department struck a deal with the Internal Order and Crime Prevention division of the Ministry of Interiors for the professors and lecturers in the criminal justice program to use their case files for teaching purposes. Will took advantage of the opportunity to look through some recent serial case files as potential methods to copy as a cover up for their future Amador murder.

 

Will showed the guard at the entrance his university credentials and emptied out his bag for the items to be inspected. The guard rifled through his things, jammed them back into the bag, and gestured for him to walk through the metal detectors. Will reorganized the items that were jammed back into is bag and headed toward the basement level of the police headquarters where they kept the case files that had aged at least a year.

 

There was one specific case Will was searching for. He had done some research last night on any known unsolved serial murders within the past year and found one particularly compelling case. Will walked down the case file aisles, searching for the folder labeled with the case number he found through the Havana police database. It took him a while before he found the file he needed in the case vault. He proceeded to look through the folder of information at once when he finally located it. The killer he honed in on was one that had managed to allude the Havana police for a year now. However, whomever they were, the killer was still very sloppy with their work.

 

The method of killing always involved some form of strangulation, gutting, and amputation, but not necessarily in that order. The meticulous photographs and officer notes showed that either the killings happened off site or in situ. One could tell from the blood patterns, how long the victim exsanguinated, and the point at which rigor mortis set in, that the killer really had no clue what they were doing. Not yet anyway. There was no methodology to the killings, but the killer was creative. Will handed that to them at least.

 

The victims were always strangled and their bowels were removed, often pre-mortem. The bodies would be found in the harbor of Havana, usually a few days after the time of death with some limb usually missing. However, the killer never took the same limb. Will knew it would be simple for himself and Hannibal to construct a pattern mirroring the last two killings, which seemed to have more in common than the previous one. They could then dump Amador's body in the harbor before the morning businesses opened for the day. 

 

Even with the amateur-like quality of the killings, the police hadn’t been able to catch the killer to due to a series of mysterious events and no precedent with the killings. Due to the facts regarding the case, Will thought to himself that it would be easy to copy this killer when he and Hannibal dispatched with Amador.

 

Will quickly took a view snapshots of the case file with his camera to show Hannibal later. He put the materials back into the folder and pushed the cabinet close. Will walked back to the entrance of the fortress, and passed the security checkpoint before walking outside. When he finally reached outside, he saw Robert Amador slowly making his way toward him. The light change from the darkness emanating from the fortress to the immediate sunshine of outside made it a little difficult to recognize Amador at first, but it was definitely him. Will's colleague's gait also dripped with the same whimsical behavior exhibited from previous encounters. Will had to mentally prevent himself from grimacing; he wished he could just strangle Amador right there.

 

 _…I figured he would give us more time…?_ Will thought to himself. He didn’t think Amador would go right away to the police. He thought maybe he had enough time to lure his colleague in and murder him with Hannibal.

 

Will composed himself and looked unfazed when Amador approached him. Amador walked straight up to him and smiled. He didn’t move or act as if he was headed toward the fortress.

 

Will waited until Amador reached a few steps in front of him. “Robert.”

 

“Hugh.” Amador responded with a sly grin. Will noticed that in public, Amador still referred to him by his false identity.

 

“This is a pleasant surprise.” Will said smiling back. He decided right there he would play Amador’s game. If his colleague _really_ had anything substantial on himself and Hannibal, the police would have been notified by now. Hannibal was most likely right about Amador wanting to elicit sexual favors from them…

 

Amador moved closer to Will. Will could feel his colleague’s hot breath radiating on his cheek. He wanted to pull away, but forced himself to stay in the position to appear unnerved by Amador's irritating body language.

 

“Well it’s always pleasant when I get to see you, Hugh.” Amador put his right hand on Will’s left arm. Will felt his body wanting to grab a hold of Amador and strangle him, but he thought of what Hannibal would do in such a situation and kept poised.

 

Amador noticed that his gesture didn’t startle Will. He pulled back and pointed at the fortress. “Research?”

 

Will smiled as he squinted at the glare from the sun. “Yes, giving a guest lecture tonight, so I thought it would be apropos to utilize our “library.”

 

Amador chuckled. To Will, his colleague seemed to be playing into the few charms he _thought_ he possessed: his cutting personality. He thought about how much easier it would be than he had expected to seduce Amador into coming to their apartment for "dinner".

 

“Well, I’ll see you on your way.” Amador nodded as Will nodded back, walking away from his colleague.

 

“Oh, and tell Romain I said hi, would you please?” Amador shouted after Will. Will turned back around and slightly acknowledged Amador before continuing toward the edge of the street corner to catch a cab. Will flagged a cab down and got in. He noticed in the rear view mirror of the taxi that Amador was still standing by the entrance of the fortress, watching him leave.

 

Will grinned. _This is going to be easier than I thought_.

 

The cab sped away.

 

* * *

 

_Back in the states…_

 

“Crawford.”

 

A raspy low voice filtered through the receiver. “Jack…it’s Frederick...”

 

Jack straighten up on his desk in shock. He hadn’t spoken to Dr. Chilton since he visited the man with Will after he was tortured by Dolarhyde.

 

“…Frederick?”

 

Silence.

 

“…I know they’re alive.”

 

Jack stayed silent on the phone. He thought he was the _only_ one left who truly believed that Hannibal and Will were possibly alive. He wasn’t sure, however, if Chilton’s opinion on the case was grounded in fact or angry conjecture.

 

Jack chose his words carefully. “...how can you be sure, Frederick?”

 

“…I have proof.”

 

Jack clinched his jaw. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The FBI couldn’t find one shred of evidence, outside of the blood on the cliff, to continue their search for Hannibal and Will, yet Chilton claimed to have managed to do just that. Jack immediately questioned the source of this  _proof_. Whichever means Chilton had used to come about such information could only had been obtained illegally.

 

“Fredrick, whatever proof you have, you are obligated to turn it over to the FBI...or the respective international authorities...” Jack said cautiously.

 

“Yet, the FBI hasn’t even managed to catch Hannibal nor _keep_ him considering the mounds of evidence already uncovered.” Chilton said coolly.

 

“Fredrick, I would advise you to not do whatever you’re thinking of doing. You could get yourself killed…”

 

Jack waited on the phone in silence.

 

“I’m going to _find_ him and I’m going to _kill_ him.”

 

“Frederick, wait-”

 

The receiver on the other end clicked. Chilton had ended the call.

 

Jack sat on his desk, dumbfounded by what he had just witnessed. He felt powerless not being able to control the situation. He couldn’t authorize sending agents to Dr. Chilton’s house; Kade Purnell would most certainly put him on leave and take over the case herself.

 

All he could do was wait. Wait to see if Chilton managed to kill Hannibal…or if Hannibal ultimately ended up killing him instead…

 

_Dammit, Frederick._

_Later that night on a plane to Havana…_

Frederick took a sip from his glass of bourbon. The medication he was currently taking was not to be mixed with alcohol, but the situation warranted celebration. He grinned to himself as he watched the economy paying passengers drudge their way down the aisle of cabin, attempting to not hit others with their luggage, but failing miserably.

 

The cabin door by first class closed, finally, and one of the flight attendants came online to explain the safety procedures.

 

Frederick closed his eyes as the plane crawled along the runway. Anger and the need for vengeance laid the basis for Frederick’s arrogance and rash decision to fly to Havana himself. He was so sure he would be able to torture as well as murder Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham.  

 

* * *

 

_Flashback to the events of “The Number of the Beast Is 666”…_

_About a few months before the Fall…_

 

Frederick turned away from Hannibal and headed for the cell exit.

 

 _I can’t believe the hospital wasted money to keep you comfortable._ The walk to get away from Hannibal was longer than it usually felt. Frederick could feel Hannibal’s eyes from the other end of the cell burning through the protective glass, through the back of his skull.

 

 _I am a bestselling author._ Frederick repeated to himself. Hannibal was only relevant because he was a freak and people paid money to observe him in all his freakiness.

 

_How dare he insult my work?_

 

Frederick ran into Alana Bloom outside of Hannibal’s holding, waiting for him. He was visibly seething from his exchange with Hannibal.

 

“Are you here to remonstrate me with ‘I told you so’s?” Frederick offered attempting to gather himself.

 

“That’s not why I’m here.” Alana admitted. “Jack wants to speak with you.”

 

Frederick walked passed Alana, not caring about what _Jack Crawford_ wanted. Frederick _wanted_ to the leave the hospital as quickly as possible before he let his anger completely ruin his day. Alana followed him. She cut him off with one step to the front.

 

Now Frederick looked more than upset; he was positively livid. “About what?”

 

“He wants to speak to you in person. The matter is sensitive.”

 

Frederick and Alana _always_ had a tensed relationship. The source for the tension at this moment came from Alana assuming the position of Director of the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Frederick had cherished the position and it was not easy to “personally” take a leave of absence.

 

Frederick rolled his eyes at the insistence of Jack Crawford wanting to speak with him. He held out his hand indicating that he would follow Alana out and to Jack. Alana smirked and turned around as Frederick followed.

 

_About an hour later…_

“We need someone who is less concerned about the truth than the best story.” Jack was standing over by the wall adjacent to the window in Alana’s office. Will Graham was leaning up against the window sill.

 

Jack gestured toward Frederick. Frederick was still annoyed after his exchange with Hannibal, but attempted to hear the group out about their plan to capture the Tooth Fairy by composing an article for Tattlecrime antagonizing the killer.

 

“So, Dr. Chilton, you just lay out your theories. Will will aggravate them for the record.” Jack continued.

 

“You’re making statements no investigator would ever make and no straight newspaper would credit.” Ms. Lounds opinioned with a smug expression.

 

“You’re not a straight newspaper. You sell T-shirts that say, ‘The Tooth Fairy is a One-Night Stand’.” Will retorted.

 

“I can get you one, if you like. You a small or a medium? Small, I bet. They aren’t selling so well since you started calling him ‘The Dragon’.” Freddie smirked back. Frederick observed the not-so-settle annoyance registering on Will’s face. Frederick's own annoyance was surging as these two bickered with each other, instead of getting down to what he had to say on the matter.

 

“The killer’s objection to the name ‘The Tooth Fairy’ is likely grounded in the homosexual implication of the word ‘fairy’". Frederick offered finally. “Tedious, I know, but if you really want to piss him off, that’s what you should call him.”

 

Frederick winced at the provocation for his own personal reasons, but nonetheless, he knew the great-something-rather dragon would fall for it.

 

“Very well. Tooth Fairy it is.” Jack responded.

 

Fredrick relished in giving his personal professional opinion whenever he could. He would sell more copies than he ever did with his book on Hannibal the cannibal. This spot would surely set up that stardom train. He sat down in the chair opposite Ms. Lounds and readied himself for his statement. He smirked at the thought of knowing that more people would pay attention to this new killer than they had been to Hannibal.

 

“The Tooth Fairy’s actions indicate a projective delusion compensating for intolerable feelings of inadequacy. Smashing mirrors ties these feelings to his appearance.”

 

“And not only is the Tooth Fairy insane, he is ugly and impotent.” Will interrupted Frederick. Frederick made a face without looking back at Will. He knew Will was only there to heighten his opinion on the matters, but he thought the younger man would _wait_ till after he was  _done_ with this own theories to interject.

 

Frederick continued. “There’s a strong bonding of aggressive and sexual drives that occurs in sadists at an early age…”

 

“He’s a vicious, perverted, sexual failure.” Will interrupted him again. “An animal.”

 

Frederick turned around and looked at Will. He was so irritated by his rudeness and over step of boundaries. Will just shrugged back at him, not appearing to understand why his actions were annoying to Frederick. The younger man, although smug at times, looked cute as he shrugged off Frederick’s exasperation.

 

Frederick had thought about Will Graham sexually before, of course; he was extremely good looking. However, the younger man’s rudeness was so off putting; it had reminded Frederick of his exchanges with Hannibal. Frederick continued, although he was irritated by Will.

 

“The savage acts aimed primarily at the women and performed in the presence of families, are clearly strikes at a maternal figure.”

 

“The Tooth Fairy is the product of an incestuous home.” Will jumped in again.

 

“This is the child of a nightmare.” Frederick continued.

 

Ms. Lounds began to set up a photo-op that would pair with the article publication. Frederick readied himself to leave.

 

“Fredrick, would you like to be in the photograph?” Will asked. Frederick turned around to look at Will. The younger man's eyes were gleaming from the outside light emanating from the window he stood by. He couldn't put his finger on who Will's eyes gleam reminded him of...

 

“One for the dust jacket.” Frederick smirked. He knew this publication would garner press for his eventual monograph on his inquiry into this “dragon”, so a photo-op was only gravy that topped future publicity. Frederick walked over the window to stand by Will.

 

Jack helped Ms. Lounds position the camera height since the two men were taller than she was and she didn’t think to bring a tripod. Frederick inched closer to Will, when suddenly the younger man put his hand on his back. Frederick was startled, yet intrigued by the action. Will Graham may have annoyed him before, but he wouldn’t pull away from this act of touch he had fantasized about before. Ms. Lounds’ camera almost caught Frederick’s gasp at Will’s touch, but he recovered before the camera captured their likeness.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the Present_

 

“We should talk about the responses to the benefit first before we discuss the grant proposal.”

 

Hannibal was standing over his desk in his office looking over some photographs and financial figures from a benefit party the museum had put on about a month ago. Sebastián Soto was sitting in a chair, on the opposite side of the desk taking notes.

 

“Okay, noted.” Sebastián responded.

 

Hannibal shuffled some of the papers around, appearing to look for another page that seemed to be missing. Sebastián noticed and handed him the page that was missing. Hannibal reached for the page and noticed that Sebastián was staring at him a little _too_ intensely as the page was handed over. Hannibal didn’t visibly react to the look.

 

Hannibal had perceived recently from his interactions with Sebastián, that the younger man seemed to be slightly overstepping their professional boundaries in terms of flirtation. Hannibal had composed himself in a matter that appeared to be disinterested, to not give Sebastián any ideas, but he also didn’t want to make an issue out of something that possibly wasn’t an issue to begin with. Hannibal himself was friendly toward other people and his own actions could be perceived as flirtatious as well, so he brushed it off.

 

However, tonight in his office, Hannibal began to sense something else about Sebastián that did not sit well with him. He knew Will had been bothered by the fact that he was constantly staying late at the museum while also working with Sebastián. He noticed his companion’s mood change from earlier this morning after he handed him his phone. Hannibal thought it was best to wait to see if Sebastián did anything overt to bring it up with Will.

 

Hannibal’s phone, which was setting on top of the desk facing up, buzzed with a text from Will. Sebastián noticed the phone message alert and intently watched Hannibal as the older man picked up the phone and looked at the message.

 

“If you need to leave soon, I can finish up here, Romain.” Sebastián offered as he got up from his chair and hovered over the desk.

 

Hannibal put his phone in his inside suit pocket before looking back at Sebastián. “That won’t be necessary, we’re almost finished.”

 

Hannibal looked through the papers again. He could feel Sebastián staring at him.

 

“Do you have the figures from the last reception?” Hannibal asked, not looking up at Sebastián.

 

Hannibal heard Sebastián rifling through some more papers he brought with him before delicately placing the page Hannibal requested on the desk. Hannibal picked up the page swiftly and looked it over.

 

“Okay, I need you to make a few copies of this and the benefit numbers.” Hannibal handed back the pages to Sebastián. Sebastián took his time taking the pages from Hannibal, burning a hole in the older man’s head from his intense gaze. Hannibal simply looked back at him, but appeared poised.

 

“Sure, I can do that.”

 

Hannibal scooped up the rest of the papers and photographs on his desk, organized them in his hands, and put them in a folder. He handed the folder to Sebastián.

 

“And please look this over to make sure the figures are correct.” Hannibal said as Sebastián took the folder, lightly brushing Hannibal's hand with his own. Sebastián nodded and grabbed his bag on the floor next to his chair.

 

“Okay, I’m going to go home. Please send me a message if you have any questions.” Hannibal noticed the brush, but didn't make an issue out of it. Sebastián nodded again and headed toward the door.

 

“Goodnight, Romain. See you in the morning.” Sebastián said as he slid out of the office.

 

Hannibal watched him leave. He thought to himself that he handled the situation as best as he could. He gathered his personal items, his coat and his keys, before turning out the lights in his office and heading out the door.

 

* * *

 

_Back in the states…_

 

“You know how much Frederick hates Hannibal, Jack.”

 

Alana poured Jack a glass of wine at her and Margot’s dining room table. The two women had invited Jack over for their monthly dinner get-togethers. Alana’s work at the BSHCI had greatly diminished her social networking time. She barely had time to spend with her own family, let alone friends and colleagues. However, Alana and Jack managed to have dinner together every month and it provided a much-needed relief from the pressures at work.

 

“Yes, I realize this.” Jack took a sip of the wine after Alana poured it. He was sitting opposite from Margot and Alana took a seat at the head of the table.

 

“What proof did he even have?” Margot asked incredulously. She had gotten use to Alana and Jack discussing Hannibal’s whereabouts. At first, it was irritating since the issue was discussed ad nauseam. But now, Margot could tell that _Alana_ was more irritated by the topic of conversation then she had ever been. She could tell her partner wanted to move on, but this new bit of information was important.

 

“He wouldn’t tell me.” Jack responded as after chewing a bite of his quiche, part of the dinner courses Margot had prepared for the three of them that night.

 

“So then, the matter is over.” Alana took a sip of her wine. “Quite frankly, Jack, I think Frederick is lying. He’s lying to get attention.”

 

Alana and Frederick had recently fallen out of favor with each other. Frederick was still a heavy presence in their field and the man constantly made an appearance in credited journals, heavily criticizing the work Alana was doing at BSHCI. Alana tried to give him the space to float his ideas around about how the hospital _could_ be ran, but the constant stream of critical babble aggravated her to no end. She knew he was doing what he was doing to retain respect, but there had been flat out lies suggested by Frederick about Alana’s leadership. She wasn’t quick to believe anything that Frederick had on Hannibal and Will possibly being alive.

 

“I know your opinion on the matter, Alana, but you have confessed to me before that you thought there was a possibility that the two were alive.” Jack retorted.

 

Alana’s memory drifted back to the night Jack had called her after they found Dolarhyde murdered at a residence presumed to be one of Hannibal’s safe houses. Even if Hannibal was alive, Alana knew that he wouldn’t take the time to come after her and her family while being on the run. It had been months since the incident with the Red Dragon, so she knew that they were more than likely safe from Hannibal.

 

Alana paused for a moment before answering Jack’s retort. “Even if Hannibal and Will are alive, they won’t attack any one of us…it’s not convenient.”

 

“It’s not about _convenience,_ Alana, you know that.” Jack responded.

 

“Yes, you’re right that it’s more than convenience for Hannibal, but considering the past and our current situations…” Alana looked at Margot then back at Jack. She knew what she was about to say wasn’t going to sit well with Jack.

 

“…maybe we should forget about Hannibal and Will. Any time someone gets involved, unfortunate situations ensue and I don’t want anything to happen to my family or my friends.”

 

Jack looked a little shocked by Alana’s proposition. He looked at Margot, who was trying not to get too involved in the discussion. He looked back at Alana. He could see in her eyes that she was truly concerned about Hannibal attacking one of them if they pursued after Frederick.

 

“…we just can’t let them get away. What if they’re murdering incidents…wherever they are?”

 

Alana looked back at Jack sympathetically. He could tell that she was struggling with coming to terms with her own thoughts on the matter.

 

“…Jack…we can’t go after them. If he is alive, you _know_ what Hannibal is capable of..and now he has Will.”

 

Jack sighed. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to convince Alana any further. “What about Frederick then?”

 

“Frederick is a fool.” Alana took a sip of her wine. “If he wants to chase phantoms, then let him.”

 

Jack sat in silence thinking about Frederick and what he could possibly know about Hannibal and Will’s whereabouts. He also thought that there was a possibility Frederick was already dead. Jack tried not to think about the matter any longer. The people most involved with this were either non-convinced (Alana), implicated on the matter (Will), or blinded by rage (Frederick). He sighed as he twirled his wine glass with his right thumb and index finger.

 

“…I guess I must acquiesce on the issue. I’m hitting road blocks in every direction.” Jack finally admitted.

 

“...I think we’re all being smart if we accept the facts presented to us and assume that Hannibal and Will died on the cliff that night…for our sanity.” Alana said slowly.

 

Margot looked back and forth at Alana and Jack. She wasn’t fully aware of their personal dealings with Hannibal. However, after using Hannibal to kill her brother and being on the scene when Hannibal was apprehended the last time, she knew some _extent_ of Hannibal’s capability. She also knew how much Alana felt about the issue and how devastated she was when she heard that Will was considered dead. She waited in silence with Jack and Alana before speaking up.

 

“…should we have dessert and coffee in the other room?” Margot asked cautiously. Jack looked back at Alana and Alana smiled slightly at him to indicate that she wanted to have a nice night with her family and Jack. Jack understood and smiled back. He couldn’t do anything else about the situation.

 

“That sounds great.” Jack answered.

 

The three of them got up from the table and cleared the dishes before retiring to the other room.

 

* * *

 

_Meanwhile in Havana…_

 

“What if we invited him over for dinner…but imply something else…?” Will thought out loud after taking a sip of the wine Hannibal just handed him. Hannibal grabbed a plate of the finger food (like snacks and such, not actual human fingers) that Will had thrown together for dinner and another glass of wine before sitting down next to his partner on the sofa. Will had the photos he took from the fortress spread out on the table in front of him.

 

“I presume that would work.” Hannibal responded after taking a sip of his wine. He took one of the photos from the table and looked at it intently. Will watch Hannibal study the work in the photographs; he could tell his companion was over analyzing the crimes, intrigued by the way the killer struggled with constructing a consistent pattern. Hannibal had been mostly enticed by the missing limbs aspect of the crimes. Will had suggested that maybe the killer was taking the limbs and consuming them, but Hannibal wasn't convinced. He thought the murders were to erratic for a possible cannibal attempting to cover his tracks.

 

“How far are we taking this then?” Hannibal asked not removing his gaze from the photos. Will knew what he was referring to: the implication of a potential sexual encounter between the three of them.

 

Will sighed. “Like I said before, _implying_ something else, but I’m sure it won’t get very far.”

 

"That's what I'm referring to,  _how_ far this ends up going." Hannibal retorted. He was a little annoyed that Will thought a threesome implication would be the best way to lure his colleague to them, but it might prove to be the easiest solution.

 

Will smiled back at Hannibal, unruffled by his partner's annoyance. "It won't get physical, I promise, Hannibal."

 

Hannibal stared at the photographs for a moment longer. He then placed them back down on the table and looked back at Will.

 

“I missed you today.” Hannibal said after a few moments of silence.

 

Will was taking a sip from his wine glass as a curious expression registered on his face. “You couldn’t go about ten hours without missing me?”

 

Hannibal grinned slightly as he averted his eyes away from Will. “Will, you can’t make me _come_ before a ten-hour period without seeing you and _not_ expect me to miss you.” Hannibal returned his gaze back to Will, with a slight smile on his face.

 

Hannibal moved closer to Will before the younger man could say anything else. The older man took Will’s wine glass out of his hand and placed it on the table in front of them next to the photographs from the case file.

 

Hannibal inched closer so he could cup Will’s face with his right hand. Will leaned into the gesture and placed his right hand on Hannibal’s thigh.

 

The two men lingered in this position for a few moments before Hannibal leaned in toward Will and brushed his lips up against Will’s. The younger man pushed up against him as the kiss was returned and Will’s hand slowly slid from Hannibal’s thigh to his waist, taking a hold of the older man’s sweater.

 

Hannibal pulled himself and Will to lay flat on the sofa with the younger man on top of him. Will started to grind his hips up against Hannibal’s as the two men kissed each other passionately. Hannibal let his hands explore Will’s body as Will used his hands to brace his movement against the arm rest of the sofa.

 

Hannibal hands glided from the middle of Will's back, to the small of his back, to the younger man's ass. Will groaned into Hannibal's mouth as his partner caressed his ass then moved a hand to the zipper of his slacks. Will heard his pants unzip and felt his cock stiffen, as Hannibal took a hold of it and stroked his shaft while still holding onto his ass. 

 

Will reluctantly pulled away from Hannibal's lips. "Let's go to bed."

 

Hannibal nodded and reached up to kiss Will. "After you."

 

* * *

 

_Meanwhile, across the street from Hannibal and Will's apartment..._

 

The man in the hoodie stared through binoculars on top of a roof across the street from Will and Hannibal’s building. He smiled as he watched Hannibal and Will through their parlor room windows. He took out a camera and snapped some photos of the two first talking, making out on the sofa, and then getting up to leave the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Frederick is completely out of his limits. He has no idea what Will and Hannibal are capable of together. We'll see that in the next chapter :)
> 
> Chapter Nine: Copy.
> 
> Hannibal and Will have dinner with Amador (Finally - I actually get a little annoyed myself when I write out Robert Amador's narrative). Also, our murder husbands discover a clue leading to Frederick.
> 
> Why do people think they can mess with our murder husbands?
> 
> Thank you for reading ! 
> 
> -lady_slice
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	9. Copy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Will have dinner with Amador.
> 
> Also, our murder husbands discover a clue leading to Frederick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy shipping, as always, fellow shipmates.
> 
> \--lady_slice
> 
> side note: for language translations, please click on the highlighted links :)

“...ah…fuck, Hannibal.” Will could feel his body tensing up the way it usually does before an orgasm.  
  
  
  
He was on top of Hannibal in their bed. Will shuddered with ecstasy as Hannibal thrust his cock in and out of him from below. Will held onto Hannibal’s neck while he ground his ass up against his partner’s lap. Hannibal held a hand tightly onto Will’s backside, while the other hand was wrapping around the younger man’s cock. Will could feel Hannibal’s body tensing, as the gasp on his ass grew firmer from pleasure.  
  
  
  
“Jesus, Hannibal. I’m going to come.” Will whispered breathlessly. Hannibal responded by letting out his own release into Will. Will couldn’t help himself and came all over Hannibal’s chest.  
  
  
  
He plopped down on the bed next to Hannibal panting heavily. Hannibal looked over at Will and smiled.  
  
  
  
“I wish I could stay in bed all morning, but I really need to get ready for work.” He gently stroked Will’s face and got out of the bed.  
  
  
  
“Would you like company?” Will asked, squirming through the sheets, still reeling from his orgasm.  
  
  
  
Hannibal smirked at Will's implication. “You and I both know that’s not a very good idea.”  
  
  
  
Hannibal turned away from the bed and made his way toward the bathroom. “By the way, I prepared a dinner plate for you tonight. All you have to do is put it in the oven. There’s a sticky note with instructions, in case you forget.”  
  
  
  
Will couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. Hannibal _really_ thought he was incapable of feeding himself.  
  
  
  
“You know, I use to cook and eat my own meals just fine before I met you.”  
  
  
  
“Not very well, I presume!” Hannibal shouted from the bathroom before he turned on the shower.  
  
  
  
Will propped himself out of the bed and swung his legs off to the side. Today was the day he was planning to ask Amador to their place this Friday for dinner. He thought about the perfect thing to say.  
  
  
  
_Romain and I thought it would be nice to invite you to dinner this weekend_...Will thought to himself. He and Amador had not been in constant contact with each other since the run-in at the police fortress. He told himself that he needed to loosen up more and act more flirtatious toward his colleague in order to keep up the charade.  
  
  
  
He and Hannibal had discussed possible ways of dispatching with Amador, and they both agreed that the best way to lure him to the apartment would be to invite him over for dinner.  
  
  
  
Will felt a little uneasy about his part in the plan. He was going to invite Amador out for drinks before hand, get him drunk, and then take him back to the house. He didn't know why he felt uneasy; he had been waiting to finally hunt with Hannibal again since that night with Bedelia.  
  
  
  
Hannibal had been the one who had planned most of the dinner with Bedelia, since Will was still struggling to reconcile his role in the matter. This time, Hannibal let him plan their hunt; seemingly intrigued by the way the younger man conceived of the details.  
  
  
  
Will finally settled on the source of his anxiety. It stemmed from this being his first post-Fall murder that he would orchestrate, instead of Hannibal. This rendered Hannibal as the complicit partner in Will’s design, and not the other way around. He greatly appreciated the fact that Hannibal thought he was capable of conceiving a fine plan for this weekend; he just didn't want to fuck it up. This hunt felt more important to him because it was the first time he and Hannibal were both fully involved. The feeling from that bond was amazing, but he felt his anxiety swelling.  
  
  
  
Will heard the shower stop running. Hannibal emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist while he used another to dry his hair. He removed the towel around his waist and started to get dressed. Will couldn't help but stare at Hannibal as the older man pulled on a pair of slacks. He smiled slightly when Hannibal turned around and noticed that his companion was watching him.  
  
  
  
Hannibal smiled back and walked over to the bed as he pulled a sweater on. He sat down on the bed next to Will. Hannibal reached out with his right hand to stroke the back of Will's neck. He gave the his partner a soothing gaze.  
  
  
  
"Are you alright with the plan for today?" Hannibal asked. Will appreciated Hannibal's concern, but he was sure of himself. He just had pre-performance jitters.  
  
  
  
Will turned his head slightly toward Hannibal. "Of course. I'm just a little nervous about getting him here without fucking this up."  
  
  
  
Hannibal kissed him on his cheek. His lips felt so warm and enticing. "I'm sure you won't _fuck_ anything up. You're very capable." Will smiled and turned to kiss Hannibal on the lips. The two men kissed each other in a slow lingering embrace, before Hannibal broke away.  
  
  
  
"I love you."

 

Will stroked Hannibal's face with his thumb. "I love you too." Hannibal grinned as he got out of the bed and finished getting dress.    
  
  
  
"So I'll see you later tonight. I'll probably be home around seven...eight at the latest." Hannibal said as he picked up his phone and his wallet.  
  
  
  
"Okay sounds good." Will said as Hannibal walked over to the bed. He leaned over the bed to kiss Will on the lips again.  
  
  
  
"Have a nice day." Hannibal said through the kiss. Will watched Hannibal leave the room. He slid back down into the sheets and looked at the bedside clock.  
  
  
  
_I guess I should be getting up now._ Will closed his eyes before reluctantly pushing himself out of the bed and heading for the bathroom.

 

* * *

 

_Later that afternoon..._

 

The instructors in the Criminal Justice program were required to attend scheduled faculty meetings once a month so that each faculty member could update the entire program before the department faculty meetings, which were usually scheduled for every three months. Yet, to make the dreaded meeting more tolerable, Raúl suggested that everyone bring either a dish or a drink to share after their meeting as an impromptu party of sorts. There were only a few of them teaching in the program, so it was easy to have such gatherings, especially after suffering through finals week.  
  
  
  
Will and the other instructors were huddled together in a small classroom facing Raúl, who was sitting in the middle of the group. Raúl called on each person to give a short report on their work.

 

“And Hugh, how are the foundation courses coming along?” Raúl asked.  
  
  
  
“Better than I expected, they seemed engaged for the most part. The final papers were strong for about ninety percent of the class.” Will responded. He was sitting next to Hanna and another colleague. Amador was on the other side of the room perched against a desk. Will had avoided him since the meeting started, but was preparing himself for “luring” Amador to the apartment for the coming weekend.  
  
  
  
“Okay great. I’m glad you’re getting acclimated to the program so efficiently. Hanna, any current news on your research?” Raúl turned toward Hanna.  
  
  
  
Will drowned out the rest of the conversation as he focused his gaze on Amador. He caught his colleague’s eye and smiled at him. Amador motioned toward the acknowledgement before turning to face the rest of the conversation.  
  
  
  
After Raúl finished filling them in on the state of funding for the program, which was more than Will had expected, the group broke for their little party. Will got up from his seat, and picked out one of the pastries Hanna had brought with her before walking over to Amador. The two men were standing away from everyone else, on the opposite side of the room, so Will felt comfortable asking his colleague out for drinks for before dinner with Hannibal.  
  
  
  
“Robert.” Will motioned with his pastry and perched himself up against the desk Amador was leaning on.  
  
  
  
“Hugh.” Amador said slowly, visibly cautious by Will’s change in interest. Will noticed that Amador was using his false identity to not draw attention to themselves.  
  
  
  
“Romain thought it would be a great idea to invite you over for dinner this weekend.” Will offered before he took a bite out of his pastry. He almost visibly grimaced as Amador responded with a smug smile. Will observed that Amador was pleased to have _seemingly_ have gotten what he had wanted from Hannibal and himself.  
  
  
“I also thought, maybe the two of us could get drinks before coming back to our place. Romain won’t mind, he usually gets home a little late from the museum and would like to have some time to prep for dinner.”  
  
  
  
Amador grinned as he inched closer to Will. He was close, but not close enough for others to notice. “I would love to. And drinks beforehand sounds great.” Amador continued his gaze toward Will. Will forced himself to return it to continue the charade.  
  
  
  
“Hey Hugh! How do you like those pastries? I managed to find some time from my research to whip up something last night.” Hanna walked over to Will and Amador, interrupting their intense stare down.  
  
  
  
Will motioned toward Hanna with last bite of the pastry. “They’re delicious! Thank you for taking the time to feed us.” Will smiled at her.  
  
  
  
Amador pushed himself off from the desk. “I’ll have to take one to go.” He buttoned one of the buttons on his blazer before turning around. “See you this weekend, Hugh?”  
  
  
  
Will motioned goodbye toward Amador as he turned around and headed out the door. Hanna turned toward Will.  
  
  
  
“This weekend? What’s happening this weekend?” Hanna questioned.  
  
  
  
“Romain is friends with a friend of Robert’s and we’re having dinner this weekend. I don’t want to do it, but of course I have to play nice.” Will responded.  
  
  
  
Hanna laughed. Amador was a pain in everyone’s side and it was no secret that he rubbed all the instructors the wrong way. Even Raúl seemed annoyed with Amador from time to time and he managed to treat him with professional decency daily.  
  
  
  
“I’m so sorry.” She whispered.  
  
  
  
“Want to take my place?” Will smirked.  
  
  
  
Hanna chuckled. “I would much rather have dinner with just you and Romain.”  
  
  
  
“How about drinks after this dinner thing? I might even be able to swing dinner Saturday tonight, as well. Romain would love to meet you.” Will offered. He knew Hannibal would find Hanna intriguing to talk to. Also, they could utilize Hanna as a potential alibi.  
  
  
  
“Oh! That would be wonderful. Let me know which time works for the both of you.” Hanna said, visibly excited by the offer.  
  
  
  
Will smiled. “Of, course.” He grabbed his coat. “Well I should be getting home. I'm on my own for dinner tonight.” Will smirked as he put his coat on.  
  
  
  
Hanna laughed. "No Romain?"  
  
  
  
"Well he did prepare a dinner plate for me before leaving for work. So it's not too bad."

 

Hanna chuckled again as Will turned around and headed out the door.

 

_About two hours later...  
_

 

Before going back to the apartment for the day, Will stopped by the local market to pick up a few snacks. Hannibal didn't usually stock up on the snacks he typically enjoyed because they were deemed "unhealthy". But tonight, since he was going to be home alone for a while, Will decided to buy a few of his personal favorites and indulge himself.  
  
  
  
_I love Hannibal, but he's never going to come in between me and my yuca chips, that's for sure._  
  
  
  
Will arrived at the apartment with a bag full of groceries. As he reached the entrance on the first floor, something caught the corner of his eye. He noticed a man wearing a gray hoodie just hanging out on the street across the way. Will couldn't see the man's face, but he shrugged it off and headed up the stairs after unlocking the door.  
  
  
  
Will walked up the stairs to their apartment. He unlocked the door to the foyer and headed over to the kitchen. He set the bag down and thought about the man standing outside, loitering in the alley across the street. He had disregarded it initially, but something began to bother him as he thought about it more.  
  
  
  
Will walked over to the nearest window facing the alley, and peered out. The man in the hoodie was still standing in the alley. Will shook his head and closed the curtains. He knew his paranoia stemmed from the future dinner with Amador and calmed himself down.  
  
  
He walked back over to the bag of snacks on top of the kitchen counter and took out some yuca chips before heading to the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

_Later that Friday..._

 

Robert arrived at his targets’ apartment arm in arm with Will. Both men had been drinking heavily and by the end of the night, Will had finally asked him to come back to their apartment. He was beside himself with how well everything appeared to be going.  
  
  
  
The two men walked up to the apartment, laughing loudly at something Robert had joked about. Once at the door, Will looked to be having trouble retrieving his key from his coat pocket. Robert watched Will drop the key, then struggle to snag it from the ground. He chuckled and tried helping Will, but his colleague found the key before jamming it into the door. They both walked slowly upstairs, laughing the entire trip upward. When they reached the door to the top floor apartment, Will thrust his key into the lock of the door leading into the foyer.  
  
  
  
They stumbled into the apartment as Robert was hit immediately with strong savory smells billowing from the oversized kitchen. Will led Robert toward the dining room table adjacent to the kitchen. Hannibal turned around to face the two men as they entered.  
  
  
  
Will's partner smiled at Robert. There was something about the older man that Robert had found more intriguing than Will. He sensed a hint of it when Hannibal found himself and Will at the museum reception that one night. Hannibal’s eyes suggested a sense of danger that he didn’t perceive from Will; he felt like a moth drawn toward a flame.  
  
  
  
Hannibal dried his hands, grabbed two wine glasses and headed over toward Robert and Will. Will took his colleague’s coat, while Hannibal handed Robert a glass of wine.  
  
  
  
“Robert, I’m pleased that you could come tonight.” Hannibal greeted him with a coy smile.

 

Robert grinned at the word “come”. Of course, he would accept this sort of invitation. “Well, thank you for inviting me into your lovely home.” Robert took one of the wine glasses offered to him.  
  
  
  
Hannibal looked at Robert then over at Will, who returned to the triangle from hanging up his and Robert’s coats.  
  
  
  
Will clapped Robert on the shoulder as he moved close into his colleague's personal space. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable?” Will almost brushed Robert’s cheek with his lips as he proposed the offer.  
  
  
  
Robert looked over at Hannibal who, with slight smile, continued to sip from his wine glass.  
  
  
  
“I’ll be right back.” Will said before taking a sip from his own wine glass and disappearing into the bedroom. Robert watched Hannibal, as the older man made his way back over to the kitchen to finish with the hors d'oeuvres. Robert followed closely behind. Hannibal acknowledged the younger man’s presence, but continued with his dinner preparations.  
  
  
  
Robert stared at Hannibal for a while, thinking about how in shape and extremely good looking his colleague’s partner was.  
  
  
  
_Ugh Will, you lucky bastard..._  
  
  
  
Robert made a move. He walked behind Hannibal and tapped him on the shoulder. “You know, Hannibal. There’s something I find particularly interesting about you that I do not see in Will.”

 

To Robert, Hannibal appeared interested in his proposition.“You know, I don’t think Will would mind if we got started…” He took hold of Hannibal's face and pressed his lips firmly against the older man's mouth. Within seconds he felt a warm arm snake around his waist in response.  
  
  
  
After a few moments, Robert heard Will clear his throat from across the room. “Am I interrupting something?” His colleague cast his eyes downward, giving them both that cute boyish grin. Robert looked at Will then back at Hannibal, who still had his arm wrapped around his waist.  
  
  
  
“No, just warming up.” Hannibal responded. Robert grinned as he went back to kissing Hannibal. He felt a presence behind him as Will tapped him on his shoulder, the same way he had done to Hannibal. Robert let go of Hannibal and turned around to face Will. Will grabbed him by the face and pulled him in for a kiss. Robert couldn’t help but compare the two kisses: Hannibal’s kiss felt like smooth steady passion, while Will’s felt much more lustful. He was beside himself with finally getting to fuck these two, when suddenly his throat constricted and he crumpled to the floor from the lack of oxygen.  
  
  
  
Robert woke up with a jolt. The acrid odor from smelling salts filled his nostrils and he couldn’t help but gag. When he finally regained control, Robert realized he was bound to a chair in Hannibal and Will’s dining room with the two men in front of him, perched against the dining room table. His vision was a little blurry, but he pressed on still thinking this what part of the threesome foreplay.  
  
  
  
_Well this is getting a little out of hand._ Robert thought to himself.  
  
  
  
“You know fellas, I’m into whatever, but this is getting a little out of hand.”  
  
  
  
Will looked at Hannibal then back at Robert. His colleague grinned slightly as he let out a little chuckle. “Robert, we’re not going to fuck you.”

 

“Quite the opposite.” Hannibal added.  
  
  
  
“We’re going to _kill_ you.” Will concluded getting up from the table.  
  
  
  
Robert’s eyes widened at the declaration and he struggled to free himself from the chair, but the chair seemed to have been bolted down because it barely budged. Hannibal got up from the table after Will and disappeared behind Robert. Fear began to take hold of him; his heart raced as he lost sight of Hannibal.

 

Will walked up to Robert and pulled out a large pocket knife from the pocket of his slacks. “You know, you should really mind your own business, Robert. Being nosy could get you _killed_.”  
  
  
  
Robert tried to bounce his way out of the chair, but the ties binding him to the chair, as well as the chair itself, wouldn’t allow him to move. He watched in terror as Will flipped open the pocket knife as slowly as possible.  
  
  
  
“What do you think? Bowels in or out?” Will looked at the knife then back at his colleague.  
  
  
  
“I think out.” Hannibal responded from behind.  
  
  
  
Will chuckled as Robert tried to scream, but Hannibal stifled the screams by wrapping a tie around his head; tightening it around his mouth.

 

“There you have it; the jury says out.” And with that, Will plunged the knife into Robert’s chest and pulled the knife in a downward motion toward his waist. Robert struggled against the chair and Hannibal, as the older man whipped the tie out of his mouth and around his throat. Robert's vision blurred as he watched dark blood ooze out of his body.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal had been at the apartment all evening prepping the place for their kill. He had discovered a cookbook he had packed away with recipes for party hors d'oeuvres that would be apropos for their dinner plans. Will had texted him that he would be home soon and that Amador was completely inebriated. Hannibal grinned at the text. He was excited to finally pursue a planned hunt with his partner. He continued plating a few dishes with different types of hors d'oeuvres for later.  
  
  
  
About a half an hour later, Hannibal heard the front door to their apartment open and male voices laughing loudly. He dried his hands, grabbed two wine glasses from the cupboard, filled the glasses and walked over to greet Will and his colleague who had just entered the dining room.  
  
  
  
Will was basically holding Amador up, as his partner’s colleague was grinning like an idiot. Will took Amador’s coat as best as he could while Hannibal handed Amador a wine glass. It took all of his strength not to grimace as Amador fought to hold his own body up straight, let alone hold the wine glass up straight. He watched as little wine droplets hit the hardwood floor.  
  
  
  
“Robert, I’m pleased that you could come tonight.” Hannibal said after a few moments, forcing a smile.  
  
  
  
“Well, thank you for inviting me into your lovely home.” Amador managed as he swung the wine glass around indicating their apartment.  
  
  
  
Hannibal looked at Amador with as pleasant of an expression he could muster before looking over at Will who returned to the triangle after hanging up his and Amador’s coats.  
  
  
  
Will clapped Amador on the shoulder. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable?” Hannibal watched Will almost brushed Amador’s cheek with his lips. It annoyed him that they had to subdue Will’s colleague this way, but it seemed to be working. Will promised him that the night would not turn physical, so he steadied himself as Amador's eyes shone with glee from the act.  
  
  
  
Hannibal watched Amador look over at him as he sipped out of his own glass. The younger man, even through his drunken state, seemed to be mesmerized. Hannibal thought how incredibly foolish Amador appeared to be; the fool had fallen into a situation he did not have the wits to handle. Hannibal grinned at the thought.  
  
  
  
“I’ll be right back.” Will said before taking a sip out of his wine glass and disappearing into the bedroom. Hannibal smiled at Amador as he made his way back over to the kitchen to finish with the hors d'oeuvres. He could feel Amador following closely behind him. Hannibal acknowledged Amador’s presence, but continued with his dinner preparations; not letting his annoyance show at the spectacle put on by his companion’s colleague.  
  
  
  
Hannibal felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned slightly around to half face Amador, who was leaning into his personal space, wreaking of alcohol. “You know, Hannibal. There’s something I find particularly interesting about you that I do not see in Will.”  
  
  
  
Hannibal emoted interest in response, but was irritated that Amador was comparing himself with Will. However, it wouldn’t be long till they would do away with this little annoyance, Hannibal thought to himself. He stared back at Amador, unfazed.  
  
  
  
“You know, I don’t think Will would mind if we got started…” Amador inched closer to Hannibal and took a hold of his face. Hannibal’s eyes almost widen by the action; he hadn’t expected that there would be any physical contact between the three of them. His mind wandered; he thought about what Amador and Will did while they were out drinking the first half of the night…  
  
  
  
Suddenly, Amador pressed his lips up against Hannibal’s and he felt a tongue seeking entry into his mouth. He braced himself and just wrapped an arm around Amador to prevent the two of them from falling over and to, obviously, continue the charade. He was more than irritated that Amador was kissing him, but he couldn’t startle the younger man, so he gently kissed back.

 

  
After a minute or so, Hannibal, out of the corner of his eye, saw Will emerge from their bedroom. His partner appeared to be a little upset by what he was witnessing, but didn’t respond.  
  
  
  
“Am I interrupting something?” Will cleared his throat after waiting a minute or two. Amador pulled away from Hannibal quickly and looked over at Will. Hannibal held onto Amador as he also looked back at Will. In his eyes, he was attempting to convey to Will that Amador had basically jumped him. He could tell his companion looked annoyed that Amador was kissing him, but this _was_ his plan after all. Hannibal did _not_ want it to go this far.  
  
  
  
“No, just warming up.” Hannibal responded. Amador grinned as he went back to kissing Hannibal. Hannibal watched Will move toward the kitchen and stand behind them for a moment. It looked as if his partner was going to strangle Amador right there. Hannibal never took his gaze off Will, while he waited for his partner to make the next move…hopefully soon.  
  
  
  
Hannibal watched Will tap Amador on the shoulder, who then stopped attacking Hannibal with sloppy kisses so he could turn to face Will. Will looked at Hannibal then back at Amador and grinned. Hannibal watched as Will grabbed Amador’s face and press his lips up against his colleague’s.  
  
  
  
Hannibal shot Will a shocked grinned expression at the act.  
  
  
  
_Well that was completely uncalled for._ Hannibal thought to himself. Will looked at him waiting for the next move, but Hannibal stood there slightly grinning at him, basically saying with his eyes: _well this is what you wanted._  
  
  
  
Will rolled his eyes and continued to kiss Amador who was trying to move his hand up his shirt. Hannibal finally stepped forward and wrapped a tie around Amador’s neck and pulled tightly. Will’s colleague hit the floor with a loud thud.

 

“What the hell was that Hannibal?” Will questioned immediately.  
  
  
  
“I feel as if I should ask the same thing.” Hannibal squatted down next to Amador’s crumbled up body and looked up at Will. “He came from behind me and kissed me. Not the other way around. Also judging from the way he went about it, it felt as if he had a trial run with you prior to coming back here.”  
  
  
  
Will rolled his eyes. “Nothing happened, Hannibal. Robert was all over me tonight, but I didn’t kiss him. I barely even touched him. I promise I would never disrespect you that way.” Will got down on the kitchen floor with Hannibal. They both picked up Amador and carried him to the chair at the head of the dining room table, the furthest away from the kitchen area. They plopped him down in the chair.  
  
  
  
“Relax, Will. I believe you. I just would like the courtesy returned. I didn’t want this to become physical at all, remember?” Hannibal said as he helped Will sit Amador upright in the chair. Will left the dining room area toward the bedroom. He came out a second later with some weights and ties.  
  
  
  
“I know, Hannibal. I know. I’m sorry about that. Robert irks the shit out of me so that’s where most of this frustration is stemming from.” Will put the weights on the floor and handed Hannibal the ties. “I almost strangled myself when I saw him with you…"  
  
  
  
Will shifted his weight so he could watch his companion tie Amador to the chair. He placed a hand on Hannibal's shoulder. "...however, I did come up with this plan and I apologize for putting you in that predicament.”  
  
  
  
Hannibal finished tying down Amador’s legs to the chair while Will spoke. He straightened up and cupped Will’s face with his hand. “It’s okay, my love. Next time we’ll iron out the details better.” Will smiled back at Hannibal as he reached for the weights. Will handed Hannibal two of the weights and they tied the weights to the feet of the chair to keep Amador from toppling himself and the piece of furniture over when he woke up.  
  
  
  
Hannibal straightened up before leaning against the dining room table. Will joined him. “Ready?” Hannibal was mesmerized by how in control of the situation his partner was, when earlier he seemed a little anxious.  
  
  
  
Hannibal nodded; smiling back at his partner. “After you.”  
  
  
  
Will got up from the table and held out some smelling salts to wake up Amador. The man jolted out of his unconscious sleep and stared wide eyed at Hannibal and Will. They watched him gag for a few minutes before letting him get his bearings as best as he could.  
  
  
  
“You know fellas, I’m into whatever, but this is getting a little out of hand.” Amador choked out.  
  
  
  
Will looked at Hannibal then back at Amador. He grinned slightly as he let out a little chuckle. Hannibal beamed at how far Will had come in his own becoming. He lingered looking at Will as his companion spoke up, almost losing control of his own stoic nature thinking how sexy Will looked in the moment.  
  
  
  
“Robert, we’re not going to fuck you.”  
  
  
  
“Quite the opposite.” Hannibal added.  
  
  
  
“We’re going to _kill_ you.” Will concluded getting back up from the table.

 

Amador’s eyes widened at the declaration and he struggled to free himself from the chair, but the chair was weighed down. Hannibal got up from the table and walked around Amador. He waited for Will to signal to him for his next move.  
  
  
  
Hannibal watched Will walk up to Amador and pull out a large pocket knife from the pocket of his slacks. Hannibal couldn’t take his eyes off his partner. Will looked so calmed and poised. He was incredibly turned on.  
  
  
  
“You know, you should really mind your own business, Robert. Being nosy could get you _killed_.”  
  
  
  
Amador tried to bounce his way out of the chair. Hannibal held onto the chair, but it was mostly the weights preventing Amador from freeing himself.  
  
  
  
“What do you think? Bowels in or out?” Will directed his question toward Hannibal, but continued to look at the knife before looking back at Amador.  
  
  
  
“I think out.” Hannibal responded. Hannibal had told Will last night about his run in with the Italian police officer back in Florence and how he had gotten rid of him. Will seemed to enjoy the theatrics of the move and asked to borrow his line. Of course, Hannibal acquiesced.  
  
  
  
Will chuckled as Amador tried to scream, but Hannibal stifled the screams by wrapping a tie around his head, tightening it around his mouth. He didn’t pull with all of his strength, but just enough to render Amador completely speechless as well as helpless.  
  
  
“There you have it; the jury says out.” And with that Will plunged the knife into Amador’s chest and pulled the knife in a downward motion toward his waist. Amador struggled against the chair and Hannibal as the older man whipped the tie out of his mouth and around his throat. Hannibal felt the younger man try to jerk his body out of dying, but Hannibal squeezed the life out of him.

 

They waited a few moments after Amador bled out some more. Hannibal looked over at Will. The younger man seemed to be transfixed by what he had done. He noticed a glimmer of satisfaction radiating from Will and Hannibal was completely caught up in the sexual energy being produced from his partner. Hannibal walked over swiftly to Will and cupped his face with his hands. Will responded by wrapping his arms around Hannibal’s waist. The older man swooped downward into a kiss and they embraced each other up against the table.

 

* * *

 

After a meeting with a student, Will met up with Amador at a bar not too far away from the apartment, but in an under-appreciated area of the neighborhood. He found Amador at the bar counter, already working on what appeared to be his first drink. Amador noticed Will as he entered the bar and acknowledged him. He made his way over toward the bar counter and sat down on a stool next to his colleague. The bar was completely empty; the only patrons were himself and Amador, and the bartender didn't even seemed interested them.  
  
  
  
“Hugh! A little late are we?” Amador said with a slight smile and arm widely stretched out as Will sat down next to him. Will rehearsed being as flirtatious as possible in his head on the way over to the bar. He used all his strength to not ditch the plans immediately and strangle Amador on the spot. He was inwardly annoyed by the plan for tonight; he couldn’t wait to do away with his colleague. However, he was glad that Amador would be taken care of tonight, finally.  
  
  
  
“Sorry, a student of mine had a few questions regarding finals.” Amador flagged down the bartender to get a drink order for Will. Will accepted and the bartender handed him whatever Amador was drinking. Will could smell the drink from down the bar, before the bartender handed it to him. It smelled and tasted like pure alcohol. Will’s plan was to sip on one drink the entire night out before returning to the apartment, while encouraging Amador to drink as much as he wanted.  
  
  
  
Amador smiled and clapped Will hard on his back. Will almost physically grimaced by the action as it was followed by his colleague resting his hand on Will’s shoulder, almost caressing it as he sipped his drink. Will thought back to the plan and calmed himself down. He knew Hannibal would be completely unfazed by any action unwarranted by Amador, so he soothed his mind thinking about what Hannibal would do in this situation.

 

Will took out his wallet from his coat pocket to pay for the drink, but Amador stopped him before he could pull out some cash. “Don’t worry, Hugh. I’ve got the drinks tonight.” Amador took a swig from his drink and moved his hand toward Will’s forearm. Will stopped himself from squirming from the action, but would only halt Amador if his hand moved any further along his body.  
  
  
  
“Well thank you, Robert.”  
  
  
  
The two men stayed at the bar for about an hour and a half. Will had been furtively texting Hannibal updates about the how the outing was going. Will was becoming antsy; he couldn’t wait to get home and just do away with Amador. He wasn’t sure how long he could take his colleague talking about himself and touching him with every statement.  
  
  
  
After Amador had a few more drinks of the same alcoholic disaster he had consumed before, Will suggested that they leave for the apartment. Will had only the one drink after arriving to the bar, but pretended to act just as drunk as Amador. His colleague hung onto him as they walked down the street toward the apartment. Whenever Amador said anything intended as a joke, Will laughed at as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard.  
  
  
  
After about twenty minutes of walking/struggling to hold up Amador, they reached the apartment. Will pulled out his key and acted as if he were having trouble holding onto it. He dropped the key on the ground and heard his colleague chuckling behind him. He felt Amador trip by him and search in the wrong area for the key. Will picked up the key and wedged it into the door. They walked up the stairs slowly, laughing loudly the entire time. Amador was now holding onto Will’s jacket tightly, almost pulling him backwards. Will laughed out loud, still appearing as if he were just as intoxicated as Amador. He jammed the key into the door and dragged Amador into the apartment.  
  
  
  
The entire apartment smelled absolutely delicious. At least after this whole affair, Will would be able to relax with Hannibal and dine on whatever he cooked up for them after getting drinks with Hanna. Will led Amador toward the dining room table next to the kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye, Will observed Hannibal turn around to face the two men as they entered. Hannibal dried his hands, grabbed two wine glasses and headed over to Amador and Will. Will took his colleague’s coat, while Hannibal handed Amador a glass of wine.

 

“Robert, I’m pleased that you could come tonight.” Hannibal said.  
  
  
  
Will watched Amador grin stupidly at Hannibal as he had trouble holding onto the wine glass. Will thought about how annoyed his partner must be with the possibility of that wine spilling and ruining the floor. Will walked back near the foyer and hung up Amador’s coat. He returned to the triangle, noticing Amador staring blatantly at Hannibal. He forced himself not to react outwardly at the man’s actions.  
  
  
  
Will walked up behind Amador and clapped him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable?” Will almost brushed his colleague’s cheek with his lips with his offer. He knew the act would annoy Hannibal, but he was doing all that he could to keep Amador blind to what was about to happen to him. Besides, none of this was going to turn physical anyway.  
  
  
  
“I’ll be right back.” Will said after taking a sip out of his wine glass before disappearing into the bedroom. He signaled slightly to Hannibal before walking into the bedroom. Will put his wine glass down, loosened his tie as he proceeded to pull out weights and ties from the closet to be use on Amador after they subdued him. He placed the items on the bed and walked into the bathroom.  
  
  
  
All of a sudden, Will became anxious about killing Amador. He wasn’t going to back out. He was afraid he was going to screw up their plan. He started to breath heavily as he walked up to the sink. Will looked at himself in the mirror. His vision blurred a little with each step.  
  
  
  
_Why am I so nervous?_  
  
  
  
Will took a few breaths before splashing his face with water. He looked at himself in the mirror. He remembered back to the feeling he had when he killed Bedelia; realizing in the act that he was in love with Hannibal. This hunt would only continue to solidify their bond to each other and Will knew he had nothing to fear. He splashed some more water onto his face, and dried it with a towel before leaving the bathroom to join Hannibal and Amador.  
  
  
  
Will walked out of the bedroom and toward the dining room area. His throat constricted as he saw Hannibal kissing Amador. He could barely control his anger at the sight.  
  
  
  
_What the fuck, Hannibal?_ He saw that Hannibal had noticed him. Will waited to speak before doing something irrational. He clinched his fists to control his anger.  
  
  
  
_Ugh, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all?_ Will regained control over himself as he thought about gutting Robert.  
  
  
  
He cleared his throat. “Am I interrupting something?”  
  
  
  
Amador pulled away from Hannibal quickly and looked over at Will when he heard his voice. Hannibal held onto Amador as he looked back at Will as well. Will could tell that his partner was trying to tell him something through eye contact about not being complicit in the embrace, but Will really didn’t care at this point.  
  
  
  
“No, just warming up.” Hannibal responded. Amador grinned as he went back to kissing Hannibal. Will walked slowly into the kitchen watching Hannibal and Amador. He could see that Hannibal was carefully watching him as well. He gave his partner the most intense look of irritation, revealing that he might strangle Amador right on the spot. Amador was sloppily trying to caress Hannibal as he kissed him, but Hannibal held him back as best as he could.  
  
  
  
Will tapped Amador on the shoulder. Amador turned around to face him. Will looked at Hannibal then back at Amador and grinned. It took all of his physical as well as mental strength to keep up this charade. He saw that Hannibal looked concerned, but he didn’t care at the moment. Will grabbed Amador by the face and pressed his lips up against his colleague’s. Will opened his eyes and saw that Hannibal had a surprised grin on his face.  
  
  
  
Will looked at him waiting for the next move, holding onto Amador to keep the man from falling over on top of him, but Hannibal stood there slightly grinning at him, basically saying with his eyes: _well this is what you wanted._  
  
  
  
Will rolled his eyes and continued to kiss Amador who was trying to move his hand up his shirt. Hannibal finally stepped forward and wrapped a tie around Amador’s neck and pulled tightly. Will’s colleague hit the floor with a loud thud.  
  
  
  
“What the hell was that Hannibal?” Will questioned immediately. He could barely contain his frustration with the entire situation.  
  
  
  
“I feel as if I should ask the same thing.” Hannibal squatted down next to Amador’s crumbled up body and looked up at Will. “He came from behind me and kissed me. Not the other way around. Also judging from the way he went about it, it felt as if he had a trial run with you prior to coming back here.”  
  
  
  
Will rolled his eyes. The hour and a half at the bar was not pleasant at all. “Nothing happened, Hannibal. Robert was all over me tonight, but I didn’t kiss him. I barely even touched him.” Will got down on the kitchen floor with Hannibal. They both picked up Amador and carried him to the chair at the head of the dining room table the furthest away from the kitchen area. They plopped him down in the chair.  
  
  
  
“Relax, Will. I believe you. I just would like the courtesy returned. I didn’t want this to become physical at all, remember?” Hannibal said as he helped Will sit Amador upright in the chair. Will left the dining room area toward the bedroom and grabbed the ties and the weights. He felt horrible for jumping to conclusions about Amador kissing Hannibal.

 

Will emerged from the bedroom with the ties and the weights. “I know, Hannibal. I know. I’m sorry about that. Robert irks the shit out of me so that’s where most of this frustration is stemming from.” Will put the weights on the floor and handed Hannibal the ties. “I almost strangled myself when I saw him with you…"  
  
  
  
Will shifted his weight so he could look as his companion tie Amador to the chair. He placed a hand on Hannibal's shoulder. He could feel his emotions bubbling to the top, but he knew Hannibal would never step out on their relationship. "...however, I did come up with this plan and I apologize for putting you in that predicament.”  
  
  
  
Hannibal finished tying down Amador’s legs to the chair while Will spoke. He straightened up and cupped Will’s face with his hand. Will leaned into the embrace. “It’s okay, my love. Next time we’ll iron out the details better.” Will smiled back at Hannibal as he reached for the weights. He handed Hannibal two of the weights and they tied them to the feet of chair to keep Amador from toppling the piece of furniture over when he woke up.  
  
  
  
Hannibal straightened up and posted himself up against the dining room table. Will smiled at him as he joined him. “Ready?”  
  
  
  
Hannibal nodded and smiled slightly. “After you.”  
  
  
  
Will got up from the table and held out some smelling salts to wake up Amador. The man jolted out of his unconscious sleep and stared wide eyed at Hannibal and Will. They watched him gag for a few minutes before letting him get his bearings as best as he could considering the situation. Will felt his heart race; a surge of new found energy began to quell his anxiety about killing his colleague.  
  
  
  
“You know fellas, I’m into whatever, but this is getting a little out of hand.”  
  
  
  
Will looked at Hannibal then back at Amador. He grinned slightly as he let out a little chuckle. He couldn’t help but revel in hunting with Hannibal. His anxiety from before diminished completely as he gathered himself to gut Amador.  
  
  
  
“Robert, we’re not going to fuck you.”  
  
  
  
“Quite the opposite.” Hannibal added.  
  
  
  
“We’re going to _kill_ you.” Will concluded getting up from the table.  
  
  
  
Amador’s eyes widened at the declaration and he struggled to free himself from the chair, but the chair was weighed down. Will watched Hannibal get up from the table and walk around behind Amador. He waited for Will to signal to him for his next move.  
  
  
  
Will walked up slowly to Amador and pulled out a large pocket knife from the pocket of his slacks. The adrenaline surged through his body and he couldn’t help but stare at the knife in his hand. It felt weightless and familiar.  
  
  
  
“You know, you should really mind your own business, Robert. Being nosy could get you _killed_.”  
  
  
  
Amador tried to bounce his way out of the chair, but the ties binding him to the chair and the chair itself wouldn’t allow him to move.  
  
  
  
“What do you think? Bowels in or out?” Will continued to stare at the knife before looking back at Amador. He was speaking to Hannibal, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the knife.

 

“I think out.” Hannibal responded. Will remembered back to a conversation he had with Hannibal last night about his run in with the Italian police officer back in Florence and how his partner got rid of him. Will enjoyed the theatrics of the move and asked to borrow his line. He remembered how elated Hannibal seemed at his partner admiring his work.  
  
  
  
Will chuckled as Amador tried to scream, but Hannibal stifled the screams by wrapping a tie around his head; tightening it around his mouth.

 

“There you have it; the jury says out.” And with that Will plunged the knife into Amador’s chest and pulled the knife in a downward motion toward his waist. Amador struggled against the chair and Hannibal as the older man whipped the tie out of his mouth and around his throat.  
  
  
  
Hannibal and Will waited a few moments after Amador bled out some more. Will was completely transfixed on the sight; the sexual energy rising in his core was almost too much to handle. Will felt Hannibal walk up to him swiftly and cup his face with his hands. Will responded by wrapping his arms around Hannibal’s waist. The older man swooped downward into a kiss and they embraced each other up against the table.  
  
  
  
Will couldn’t control himself as he let his hands wander all over Hannibal’s body. He felt Hannibal grind his hips up against his own, as his pants stiffen from a hard on. He could feel his partner getting hard as well as Hannibal bit down on his lower lip and then proceeded to kiss him everywhere on his neck.  
  
  
  
Will could feel his body tensing up already from killing Amador and pulled away from Hannibal a bit to look at him in the eyes. “Fuck me.” Will said after a few moments, holding Hannibal’s face in his hands.  
  
  
  
Hannibal responded with a slight nod before Will pulled him in closer, brushing his cheek with his lips. “Right here…I want you to fuck me right here.”

 

Hannibal answered by lifting Will up onto the dining room table after yanking his partner’s slacks down before his own. Hannibal rested one of Will’s legs on his shoulder and aligned his body with the younger man’s. Will braced himself against Hannibal as the older man spat saliva into his hand and slicked his cock with it before entering Will’s ass. Will held onto the table as best as he could as his partner vigorously pumped in and out of him. Will lost himself in the movement; he let the leg rested on Hannibal's shoulder fall to the side as he wrapped both legs around Hannibal's body. Will reached up and grabbed onto Hannibal's neck and moaned loudly. He was thankful that they owned most of the building.  
  
  
  
Will looked up at Hannibal as his companion vehemently slid in and out of him. He knew he was going to feel _everything_ tomorrow, but he didn't mind. He relished in the thought of Hannibal fucking him into submission. Hannibal was softly moaning in his ear. Will pushed his face up against Hannibal's and groaned.  
  
  
  
"...fuck...fuck...god, Hannibal..."  
  
  
  
Hannibal wrapped a hand around his cock firmly, yet gently; jerking him off in motion with fucking his ass. Will immediately came all over Hannibal’s dress shirt as Hannibal filled his ass with his warm cum.  
  
  
  
Will leaned back onto the table, heavily panting from act. He couldn’t take his eyes off Hannibal. “I love you…so much…” Will said in between breaths. Hannibal leaned toward him as he kissed him lightly on the lips.  
  
  
  
“I love you too, Will.”  
  
  
  
Will held onto Hannibal as he scooted his body closer to his partner's. He felt Hannibal wrap his arms around him and they embraced each other in a lingering kiss. After a few moments, Will pulled away a bit to look at Hannibal.

 

"We should get cleaned up. We have to meet Hanna for drinks at ten." Will whispered into Hannibal's ear.  
  
  
  
Hannibal caressed Will's face with his thumb. "I'll clean up the blood, if you retrieve the plastic sheets." Hannibal was smiling at Will and the younger man couldn't help but smile back at him. The feeling of being so close to Hannibal after killing Amador was electrifying. He began to look forward to their future hunts.  
  
  
  
Hannibal leaned away from Will as he pulled up his dress pants and took off his dress shirt to change into another. Will hopped off the table, straightened up his own clothes before walking into their bedroom to grab the plastic sheets.

 

_About two hours later..._

 

Hannibal and Will walked to meet Hanna at a bar that was a few blocks away from their apartment. Will couldn't stop smiling about being so close to Hannibal after he gutted Amador. He leaned into a half hug embrace with his partner as they walked down the street. Hannibal was firmly holding onto his waist, but from time to time, lightly stroked the small of his back as they breathed in the warm night air.  
  
  
  
"I think this is it." Will spotted the bar only by chance. He was engulfed in thinking about Hannibal being inside of him just a couple of hours before.  
  
  
  
"Oh this place isn't _too_ terrible." Hannibal responded, still caressing Will's back.  
  
  
  
Will smirked. "Hanna and the other postdocs love this place. I think we'll end up having a great time." Will reached over to kiss Hannibal on the lips before they entered the bar.

 

* * *

 

“Here’s your suite, Mr. Chilton.”

  
Frederick had recently arrived at his hotel in Havana. It wasn’t as nice as the images from online, but he would only be there for a few days and his true intentions were far greater than how nice his hotel was supposed to be. Well that's what he tried to tell himself anyway.  
  
  
  
“That’s _Dr._ Chilton.” Frederick hissed as he wheeled himself into his room and handed the bellhop some cash. The young man shoved the money into his pocket and proceeded to unload Frederick’ suitcases from the cart.  
  
  
  
“My apologies, Dr. Chilton. Will you be needing anything else?”  
  
  
  
Frederick hurriedly waved the young man away. “No, that’s all. Thank you.” Frederick waited for the door to click close behind the bellhop before staring back at his suite. The suite had a living room connected to a kitchen with a smaller bathroom, while the bedroom had its own master bathroom.  
  
  
  
Frederick waited before making another move. He had practiced lifting himself out of his chair before coming to Havana, and the strength built up from doing so would prove useful when he got his chance to torture Hannibal and Will. Frederick braced his hands on the armrests and slowly lifted himself out of his chair. He felt pain shoot down his body as he fell backward into the seat. He cursed the pain before waiting a second to regain his composure. He decided to take it easy before doing away with Hannibal and Will.  
  
  
  
Frederick’s phone buzzed with a text message alert. It was his informant here in Havana. He grinned to himself as he scrolled through the images of Hannibal and Will outside of their respective places of work, out and about, and in their apartment making out…  
  
  
  
Frederick smirked at the last photo. He sent his informant a response.

 

**Frederick:** Continue as planned.

 

* * *

 

_Flashback to a scene about a month after Will and Hannibal arrive in Havana..._

 

 _Hmm, well this seems interesting._  
  
  
  
Robert Amador was searching through some of the case files at the Cuban police fortress. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular; he usually took advantage of the university’s deal with the police to use the files to gawk at the most gruesome murders. Robert, for as long as he could remember, had always had a fascination with serial murders. And the most repugnant the better. He regularly thought about how he would plan to fashion his own murder tableaus, but never really found the motivation to do so. Or the right partner...  
  
  
  
He found one particular case from twenty years ago that completely mesmerized him. He pulled the case folder out from the case box and laid it out on a table in the back of the vault. What got his attention was the photo of one of the suspects the police had questioned but couldn’t link any evidence to. Robert was transfixed by the sharp Scandinavian features of this suspect...  
  
  
  
[Que sexy](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes)... Amador thought to himself, feeling his pants tighten a little from just _looking_ at this man in the photograph.  
  
  
  
The man was absolutely beautiful. Robert snapped a few photos of the suspect to "save" for later, closed the folder and left the vault.  
  
  
  
Robert looked at his watch as he left the fortress, realizing that he was almost late for a program gathering thing at the university. Some new faculty member had joined them and Raúl wanted everyone to introduce themselves. He hated going to these things, but he knew he needed to play nice with Raúl in order to keep his job. Robert walked to the nearest street corner and flagged down a cab.

 

_About an hour later..._

 

“Go ahead, Hugh, and introduce yourself.” Raúl gently clapped the back of the new faculty member. Robert was on the opposite side of the room, holding a cup of water. He didn’t realize how good looking the new faculty professor was until the man got up from his chair and walked to the middle of the room.  
  
  
  
The new instructor waved sheepishly. _He’s such a tease_. Robert grinned to himself.  
  
  
  
“Hello everyone, my name is Hugh Moreau, I’m going to be teaching the foundations course in the program this year.” Everyone in the room motioned or responded verbally with a warm welcome. Robert grinned as he motioned with his cup.  
  
  
  
Raúl walked up to Hugh. “Why don’t you tell everyone a little about yourself?”  
  
  
  
Robert watched Hugh shuffle a bit before speaking. “Well, I recently moved here from France with my husband, Romain. I’m not French, my husband’s father's side of the family is French.”  
  
  
  
Hugh appeared to be searching for some more factoids.  
  
  
  
“…hmm…I enjoy mostly being outside…and I also love dogs.”  
  
  
  
Everyone chuckled at the mentioning of dogs and Hugh seemed to loosen up a bit more. Robert grinned a little, but struggle to hold back a crestfallen expression at the mentioning of his new colleague’s husband.  
  
  
  
_Maybe they would be interested in an additional partner?_ Robert couldn’t help but stare at Hugh. He thought about doing more research on the two when he returned home.

 

_Later that night..._

 

 _God I can’t stop thinking about that Hugh._ Robert was sitting at his computer in his study. He couldn’t shake his attraction toward his new colleague. He thought about searching for Hugh's husband to see if he was just as attractive as his colleague.  
  
  
  
Robert typed in Romain Moreau into the google search engine. The first thing that popped up was the website to the national museum of fine arts. He clicked on the profile and his breath immediately hitched. Although the photo he took of the suspect from the case file was from about thirty years ago, the person in the photograph was an younger identical match to Romain Moreau. Robert couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  
  
  
  
_Hannibal Lecter?_  
  
  
  
Robert didn’t recognize the name when he first read it on the case file. He pulled up the search engine and typed in Hannibal Lecter. The first link on the page was to an American news article from about a month ago. The article was part of a newspaper entitled “TattleCrimes”. Robert scrolled through the story. The article was on the murder of an American serial killer named the Tooth Fairy. Apparently, this Hannibal Lecter and his accomplice, Will Graham-  
  
  
  
_Hugh?_  
  
  
  
The photograph of the man who was implicated in the murder with Hannibal Lecter was Hugh Moreau, his new colleague. Robert leaned back into his chair, completely beside himself. He regained his composure after a few moments and continued to scroll through the rest of the story.  
  
  
  
Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham disappeared the night that this Tooth Fairy killer was murdered. The only evidence that the authorities could find was blood on the edge of a cliff next to a house that was believed to be owned by Lecter. The two men have been missing ever since…  
  
  
  
He read the names of others who were involved with the case: Jack Crawford, Bedelia Du Maurier, Alana Bloom, Frederick Chilton…Robert didn’t recognize _any_ of the names.  
  
  
  
He thought quickly. He _could_ go to the police with this information...  
  
  
  
...however this may be the chance he always wanted to experience the rush of killing someone by possibly blackmailing these two.  
  
  
  
_Sexual manipulation? Not above that._  
  
  
  
Robert rested his elbows on the computer desk and thought of a plan. He knew it would be easy to come to these two with the information he found. If he could find it, then it wouldn’t be difficult for the authorities to search for it, well if they knew what they were looking for. He decided that he would observe his new colleague before coming to him with the information. He wasn’t going to turn them in. Not at all. It was more about being an observational participant in their murder hunts they were no doubt inflicting on Havana. Robert was intrigued.  
  
  
  
Robert smiled gleefully as he closed down his computer and turned out the light to his study.

 

* * *

 

  _Back to the Present_

_The Monday after Amador's murder..._

 

Hannibal and Sebastián walked passed a row of offices in the museum's decorative arts department toward the older man's back office. They stopped by Hannibal’s office assistant, Clara, who was eagerly wanting at her desk for news about the meeting.  
  
  
  
“How did it go, Romain?” Clara asked as she got up from her desk and took Hannibal’s coat.  
  
  
  
Hannibal smiled back at her. “Fantastic. They’re in the process of approving the grant proposal and we should hear something by the end of the month at the latest."  
  
  
  
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Clara exclaimed.  
  
  
  
“I owe you flowers and possibly your favorite dessert for staying here late the last couple of nights.” Hannibal turned to look at Sebastián and then back at Clara. “Hopefully a raise as well.”  
  
  
  
Clara beamed and turned around to hang up Hannibal’s coat. She picked up a few notes for Hannibal with messages that he missed while he was in the meeting. “You have a received a few messages while you were out.” She handed Hannibal the notes.  
  
  
  
“Okay, great. Thank you, Clara.” Hannibal motioned for Sebastián to follow him into his office. Hannibal opened the door to his office and walked over to his desk. He had his back slightly turned away from Sebastián. A moment later, he felt the younger man hovering behind him. He turned around.

 

“Great job today, Sebastián. I think the board members appreciated the work you did with this previous exhibit.” Hannibal put his hand on the desk.  
  
  
  
“Well I learn from the best…” Sebastián said slowly as he tilted forward, putting his hand on Hannibal’s. Hannibal looked down at the gesture and pulled his hand away slowly, appearing unfazed by the move. He straightened the cuff to his sleeve before looking at Sebastián.  
  
  
  
“Sebastián, I’m flattered, but I’m in love with my husband.” Hannibal gave Sebastián an intense stare to drive home his response.  
  
  
  
Sebastián appeared calm, but pulled back. “My apologies, Romain. I got my signals crossed.” Hannibal eyed Sebastián cautiously. He was unconvinced by Sebastián’s apology.  
  
  
  
“You do great work. So I really hope you won’t force me to end our professional relationship over a _misunderstanding_.” Hannibal stated coolly.  
  
  
  
Sebastián walked around the desk and grabbed his bag and coat. “Of, course, Romain. It won’t happen again.” Sebastián motioned goodbye with slight nod and left the office.  
  
  
  
Hannibal sighed as he watched Sebastián leave. He looked over at a framed photograph of Will on their boat he kept on his desk before taking a seat. He steadied himself from the recent exchange before looking through his missed messages. He knew he would have to tell Will about Sebastián's advances. However, he didn't want his partner to become anxious over something that _didn't_ happen. Yet, he knew that if he didn't say something soon and Will would have a run in with Sebastián, it would only make matters worse.  
  
  
  
Hannibal decided he would tell Will when he came home later tonight.

 

* * *

 

Will had visited Hannibal for about an hour before his partner’s board meeting. They ate lunch at a local café as Hannibal went over his points with Will to make sure the narrative was cohesive. After they ate lunch, Will went home and drudged through grading the last of his class’s final papers.  
  
  
  
After a while, he finally finished the last few. He got up from the desk in their study and headed to the parlor room to read the book he had been thinking about getting to all day. Will diverted his direction toward the kitchen as he thought about how great a cup of coffee sounded at the moment.  
  
  
  
As he proceeded to make himself some coffee, Will noticed it was getting a little late. He looked at his watch: it was close to eight in the evening and Hannibal wasn’t home yet. He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his slacks and sent Hannibal a text message.  
  
  
  
**Will:** Are you almost on your way?  
  
  
  
His phone alerted with a message from Hannibal about a minute later.  
  
  
  
**Hannibal:**  Leaving now.  
  
  
  
**Will:** Okay, I love you.  
  
  
  
**Hannibal:** I love you too.  
  
  
  
Will put his phone down on the counter as he mixed cream and sugar in his coffee mug. Another message buzzed from Hannibal.  
  
  
  
**Hannibal:** I need to talk to you tonight when I get home. 

 

A lump appeared in Will’s throat. His mind immediately jumped to the all of the possible worst case scenarios: they would have to leave Havana tonight…or something happened with Hannibal’s curatorial assistant…  
  
  
  
_Stop!_ Will shouted in his mind. He wasn’t sure he if would _ever_ be able to keep his mind from automatically wandering to the worst possibilities. He tried not to think about it as he walked back to the parlor room and stretched out on one of the sofas.  
  
  
  
Will laid out on the sofa for about a few minutes, completely engrossed in his book. He was so engulfed in the story that he didn’t hear footsteps enter into the room. Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped themselves around his neck and he was hurled from the sofa.  
  
  
  
Will tumbled over toward the harpsichord, almost knocking it over from the amount of force from the throw. Will looked up and saw a man wearing a gray hoodie approaching him. He lurched himself forward, struggling to get up, but the man in the hoodie kicked him in his ribs. Will, although in pain, swept one of his legs under his attacker which sent him flying to the floor. Will pushed himself up and smashed a vase over the man’s head.  
  
  
  
_Shit, I think that was one of Hannibal’s favorites._  
  
  
  
The vase didn’t subdue the man and he got up before punching Will in the face. Will fell over the sofa he was previously lying on. The man picked up Will, held him up by the collar, and punched him again in the face. Will grabbed the man’s hands and tried to wiggled free, but the man was stronger than he expected. The man punched him again in the face, and Will felt his nose crack.  
  
  
  
Without warning, the man loosened his grasp as he crumbled to the floor. Hannibal was standing behind them. The older man grabbed the man in the hoodie by the collar, and punched him a few times in the face. The man in the hoodie laid on the floor, covered in blood, appearing as if his head was swimming. Hannibal straightened up from kneeling over the man and disappeared toward the kitchen. He came back with one of his chef knives. Hannibal hunched over and grabbed the man in the hoodie by the neck.  
  
  
  
"So you're going to tell me you who sent you, or I'm going to gut you like a pig." Hannibal whispered.  
  
  
  
The man in the hoodie just looked up at Hannibal with a stupid grin on his face, indicating that he wasn't going to say anything.  
  
  
  
["¡Dime!"](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter%20notes) Hannibal shouted.  
  
  
  
The man stared at Hannibal before he spat in his face. Hannibal remained stoic. He slowly whipped the offending saliva from his face.  
  
  
  
"Wrong answer." Hannibal shoved the kitchen knife into the man’s chest. The man held onto the knife, eyes widening in terror, before he lurched over. Hannibal let him fall to the ground.

 

He rushed toward Will. “Are you alright?”  
  
  
  
Will blinked his eyes a few times before responding. “I think my ribs might be bruised and my nose might be broken, but besides that I think I’m okay.” Will tried to push himself up, but Hannibal took a gentle hold of him and helped him onto the sofa. Hannibal caressed his forehead for a moment, brushing his hair out of his face. Will couldn’t help but smile at how concerned Hannibal looked.  
  
  
  
“Hannibal…I’m okay. Thank god you came home when you did.” Will tried to smirk, but he winced in pain.  
  
  
  
“Let me take you to the bed.” Hannibal said. Will nodded as he wrapped one of his arms around Hannibal’s neck and used the other to cradle his rib cage.  
  
  
  
Hannibal helped Will hobble back to the bedroom. He laid Will down, made sure he was comfortable before disappearing back into the parlor room. He came back with a note he found next to the body of Will's attacker.  
  
  
  
“…what’s that, Hannibal?” Will asked trying to sit himself up on the bed.  
  
  
  
Hannibal kept silence for a second before answering. “Appears to be a note with our address scrawled on it.”  
  
  
  
“W-what?” Will stammered.  
  
  
  
“The handwriting is atrocious, but I have reason to believe that Frederick Chilton wrote this note.” Hannibal offered.  
  
  
  
Will’s eyes widened. “What?? How do you know?”  
  
  
  
“I memorized the pattern of his signature just in case."  
  
  
  
Will couldn’t help but grin a little about how observant Hannibal was. He then returned his mind back to the conservation. “How does he know we’re here?"  
  
  
  
“Not sure. But I believe he hired whoever that was to send a message of sort.”  
  
  
  
Will thought quickly and sighed. “Do you think Robert had anything to do with this?”  
  
  
  
“I’m beginning to think not. I think your colleague was a one-off moment we needed to deal with anyway…but this appears to be a separate, more pressing issue.” Hannibal handed Will the note and went into the bathroom. He came back with a first aid kit. Hannibal sat down on the bed with Will and opened the kit. He looked back at his companion and observed which wounds were the most severe.  
  
  
  
“I’m going to need you to take off your shirt, my love.” Hannibal said as he started to reach for Will’s shirt. Will winced as he held his arms up as the article of clothing came off. The bruise from the kick was a deep purple and green.  
  
  
  
“God this hurts.”  
  
  
  
Hannibal looked at the bruise as he rubbed his hand along Will's ribs as gently as possible. “I don’t think your ribs are broken. You seem to be breathing somewhat consistently, and I don’t feel any protrusions. But you’ll need to be off your feet for the next couple of days.” Hannibal stood up from the bed and left the room for a minute. He came back with a bag of frozen peas and a washcloth. He wrapped the frozen bag with the washcloth before placing it on Will’s side. Will wiggled in pain a bit, but was calmed down by Hannibal caressing his arm.  
  
  
  
Will looked up at him. “What are we going to do about Frederick?”  
  
  
  
Hannibal sighed. Will could tell that he looked concerned, but was in control of the situation. He wondered how long Hannibal knew that there was a possibility of Frederick coming after them.  
  
  
  
Hannibal continued to caress Will’s arm. “I think we need to prepare for the possibility of Frederick appearing in our home unannounced in the next few days. Hopefully it won’t be before you’re completely healed.”  
  
  
  
“You think he would come here?”  
  
  
  
“I think he wants to catch us off guard. And the best way to do so would be while we were at home.” Hannibal responded.  
  
  
  
Will sighed. He knew waiting was the only thing they could do at the moment, especially with his injury. Hannibal kissed him on his lips before using another washcloth to clean off the blood from his face. Will tried not to wince in pain, but the pain in his nose and ribs was reverberating throughout his body.  
  
  
  
“When the time comes, we will kill him.” Hannibal said as he took out a bandage from the kit.  
  
  
  
Will nodded as Hannibal applied medicine to a cut on his face before applying the bandage. Hannibal had completely forgotten about the interaction with Sebastián from just a few hours earlier. His thoughts were with Will and tending to his wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Ten: Reckoning.
> 
> Hannibal and Will prepare for a visit from Frederick. Yet, can Will keep it together while dealing with reoccurring nightmares and lingering trust issues? These next series of events will greatly test the bond between himself and Hannibal.
> 
> Happy shipping fellow shipmates :)
> 
> \-- lady_slice
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	10. Reckoning.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Will prepare for a visit from Frederick Chilton. Yet, can Will keep it together while dealing with reoccurring nightmares and lingering trust issues? These next series of events will greatly test the bond between Hannibal and Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, I literally poured my heart out with this one. So much here...I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Happy shipping, lovely shipmates.
> 
> \--lady_slice

“Hannibal! Keep talking to me…please!” Will screams as he cradles Hannibal’s head with one hand while supporting his partner's body with the other.

 

Hannibal appears to be unconscious; the blood seeps through his shirt from a wound to his stomach. Will tries to stop the bleeding with the hand that was supporting his partner’s head, but his hand is shaking uncontrollably from shot nerves. The blood oozes out, dashing his efforts at trying to stop the stream of blood.

 

Hannibal’s eyes are closed. He looks peaceful. Will sobs and shakes at the thought of losing his partner.

 

“Hannibal! Please!” Will struggles to pull Hannibal’s body up to meet his own. His whole body is shaking violently from the shock of seeing his partner die. He rocks with Hannibal’s lifeless body as he stifles his cries against his partner’s clothing.

 

Will is covered in blood, most of it Hannibal’s. He closes his eyes as he realizes the gravity of the situation.

 

Hannibal dies in his arms.

 

Will woke up a jolt. He started to hyperventilate. The dream had felt so real.

 

_…wasn’t it real?_

 

Will looked over at the bedside clock. It was four in the morning. He looked over toward Hannibal’s side of the bed, but the older man was gone.

 

Will panicked. He couldn’t tell if his mind was tricking him; an immense swelling of pain penetrated his body. He flung the covers off the bed and jumped out.

 

“Hannibal?” Will searched in the bathroom. No answer.

 

He ran out of the bathroom, through the bedroom toward their parlor room. “Hannibal?” There was no sign of his partner.

 

Will started to panicked even more. He could barely hold himself up as he wandered around searching for Hannibal. His vision blurred as his mind conjured up images of himself rocking Hannibal’s lifeless body in his arms. Will’s eyes started to water as he thought about the possibility of losing Hannibal.

 

“Hannibal!” Will shouted. He ran passed the kitchen and toward the pantry storage area. The light was on and Will could hear someone grunting from inside the space. Will panicked again, assuming someone had broken into their apartment.

 

“Hannibal!” Will shouted as he ran into the pantry. He found Hannibal staring at him confused, holding a bag and a few cans.

 

“Will, are you alright? Hannibal appeared concerned to see Will in such a distressed state. He stared back at his partner who swayed from side to side, struggling to find his footing.

 

Will slammed up against the door frame of the pantry and slid down to the floor. His body hit the hard flooring with a loud thud. Hannibal dropped everything he was holding and rushed over to Will.

 

Hannibal squatted down next to Will, attempting to kept his partner's head from drooping. Will appeared unable to respond to his inquires. He had never seen Will this agitated since the younger man’s bout with encephalitis.

 

“Will? Can you hear me?” Hannibal held up Will’s head gently and peered into his eyes. Will made it difficult for him, however; the younger man’s head kept drooping sharply in a downward angle.

 

After a while, Will slowly tilted his head to gaze up at Hannibal. He was sweating through his shirt and struggling to gasp for air. Although his bruised ribs felt a little better from his attack a few days before, his side throbbed in pain.

 

“I…I thought you…were…dead.” Will gasped.

 

Hannibal, remaining poised, gazed soothingly back at his partner as Will stumbled. He tried to physically support Will as much as possible until the younger man could sit up on his own.

 

“Will, I’m right here...” Hannibal gently stroked Will’s face. He felt the younger man lean into his hand. However, his partner appeared to be confused; scrambling to ascertain his surroundings.

 

Hannibal shifted his body to prepare himself to lift Will. “…let’s move you back to the bedroom.” Hannibal propped Will up underneath his arms and lifted his companion. Hannibal helped Will, or well carried Will mostly, to their bedroom. Will attempted to speak, mostly babbling about dying, but none of it made sense to Hannibal.

 

Hannibal laid Will down in their bed and helped him change out of his sweaty clothes.

 

“Hannibal…I had a dream…you died.” Will gasped as he laid back down on the bed. He held on tightly to Hannibal’s arm, digging his fingers into his partner’s forearm as he yanked downward. Hannibal appeared unbothered by the action; attempting not to agitated Will any more than he currently was.

 

Hannibal caressed Will’s arm as he gazed down at Will. “Will, it was only a dream.” He propped another pillow behind Will and the younger man shuddered slightly from thinking about the nightmare.

 

Will pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand, seemingly coming back to reality; concentrating on the details of the dream. “I-I know Hannibal…it felt so real.”

 

Hannibal placed a hand on Will’s forehead to partly calm him down, but mostly to check if his partner was running a fever. He was concerned that Will was having a mental lapse that could have been brought on by illness. Will’s forehead was moist from sweat, but his body temperature didn’t feel overheated.

 

Hannibal placed his hand on Will’s thigh and lightly caressed it. “I apologize for waking you. I figured I could get a head start on reorganizing the pantry, before going to the museum today.” He smiled down at Will.

 

Will tilted his head up. He knew Hannibal was trying to make him feel better, but something about the dream felt all too real. “It’s okay...I haven’t been getting enough sleep lately…that dream could have been the result.” Will placed a hand on top of Hannibal’s hand on his thigh.

 

“Would you like for me to come back to bed?” Hannibal asked.

 

“...no, it’s alright. I’m just going to lie down for a few more minutes and then get up.” Will responded. His heart stopped pounding as he slid down into the sheets. Hannibal leaned over to kiss him on the forehead.

 

“Okay, sleep as much as you need. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Hannibal.” Will answered. He turned over on his side facing the window as soon as Hannibal got up from the bed. He was afraid to close his eyes again; drifting off to sleep to face some other nightmare. Will, after a few minutes of controlled breathing, let his eyes close. He slept soundly for about another hour.

 

* * *

 

_Later that morning..._

 

Will had been in his office at the university for about a few minutes. The office wasn’t too terrible; at least he was given his own instead of having to share with another person. However, the trade of was a office that was almost as small as their pantry back in the apartment. Actually, Will almost preferred the pantry compared to the space offered in this tiny office.

 

_Thank god, it's Friday..._

 

The program instructors had received an email from Raúl about the Cuban state police visiting the university today. In the email, Raúl wrote that, earlier in the week, the police had discovered a body in the harbor they had identified as Robert Amador’s. They were planning to talk to each of the program instructors individually to establish a timeline of Amador’s whereabouts.

 

Will hadn’t been nervous about telling the police that he and Hannibal had dinner with Amador before going out to have drinks with Hanna last weekend. He knew Hanna wouldn’t suspect them either. And with the reputation that Amador had developed for himself, no one was surprised that he had ended up in that predicament. The police had told him that Amador’s murder matched other murders relating to a profile they had trouble establishing a consistent pattern for. Concerning the method of strangulation, along with signs of gutting, and the body missing a limb, the police couldn’t help but see the similarities between their elusive serial killer and Amador’s murder.

 

During his interview, Will had heard one of the police officer's causally mutter, _[El Médico Frankenstein](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter/worknotes)_ , to one of his colleagues, in reference to the serial killer. They had suspected that the killer was keeping the missing body parts as trophies.

 

While being interviewed by the police, Will had relished in thinking about killing Amador with Hannibal. Of, course, he had told the truth, leaving out crucial details.

 

_My husband and I had dinner with Robert last Friday. He was at our place till eight in the evening._

_We went out for drinks with a colleague at ten later that night._

_We haven't heard from him since._

 

Will grinned as he thought about Hannibal fucking him after he gutted Amador. He never felt so in love with his partner after their first planned hunt together went smoothly.

 

The Cuban state police had told him that they didn’t suspect anyone from the university. Will smiled inwardly to himself when the police relayed the details of the crime scene. His own mind replayed the scene of the actual murder. He almost didn’t make it back to office before touching himself, thinking about Hannibal strangling Amador as his colleague bled out. His pants stiffened as he thought about Hannibal swooping in to kiss him; his breath hitched slightly when he thought about Hannibal lifting him onto their dining room table.

 

Will felt his body tense and he grabbed a Kleenex from a box inside his desk. He moaned his release into the tissue and sat back, his chest rising and falling faintly from pleasuring himself.

 

Suddenly, Will’s mind reeled back to the dream he had this morning. The feeling of killing Amador with Hannibal was so overpowering, but Amador was an easy target. He knew they didn’t have a choice about killing Frederick, however. In this particular case, Frederick was planning to "attack" them, so they were on the defense.

 

He wanted to continue the rush of dispatching a deserving victim with Hannibal, but at what cost?

 

He decided after a while, calming himself down, that he was letting one dream ruin something unique he had with Hannibal. Hannibal had been able to take care of himself, long before he met Will, so their current life shouldn’t be any different.

 

Will sighed. He couldn’t believe how worked up he had gotten over this dream.

 

He pulled out his phone. He had received a message from Hannibal while he was being interviewed by the police.

 

 **Hannibal:** I need to speak with you about something...that I should have mentioned the night you were attacked, but I wanted to wait until you recovered.

 

Will’s throat constricted, letting his mind wander to all of the worst-case scenarios Hannibal could have possibly wanted to talk about. He had completely forgotten that night, as well as the past few days, that Hannibal had wanted to talk to him about _something_. His side was mostly healed from the run in with the man in the hoodie, but he needed to rest at home most of the week. Thankfully, it was the start of break for the university, so Will didn’t need to cancel any of his classes.

 

Will held up his phone to send a message back.

 

 **Will:** Alright, I’m getting drinks tonight with some colleagues. Can we talk when I get home?

 

 **Hannibal:** Of course

 

 **Hannibal:** I love you.

 

Will stared at the last message for a few moments. He knew that Hannibal loved him. And he loved him as well. He felt silly for even entertaining anything of the opposite. Yet the thought lingered in the back of his mind. Thoughts of Hannibal being alone with Sebastián late at night in his office…

 

 **Will:** I love you too, Hannibal.

 

Will set his phone back down on the desk. He sighed as he tried to quell the jealousy rising in the back of his mind.

 

* * *

 

_Flashback to last weekend, after getting drinks with Hanna...and killing Amador..._

 

Will helped Hannibal carry Amador’s body onto their boat. It was two in the morning and they only had a few hours before daybreak.

 

After getting drinks with Hanna for about two hours, Will and Hannibal went back to their apartment and packaged Amador’s body into Hannibal’s car. Will found carrying Amador a little more difficult than he had expected. He struggled to gain a firm grasp on the body; sawing his colleague’s leg off proved to make transportation of the body cumbersome. However, dismembering the body and keeping the leg continued the pattern of their copycat murder. So far the police had come across “ _El Médico Frankenstein’s_ ” first victim missing their right arm, another one missing their left, and the last one missing their left leg. Hannibal and Will had decided to continue the pattern with sawing off Amador’s right leg. Will accidentally dropped his end of Amador’s body a few times before wedging him in the back of the car with the help of Hannibal. Hannibal only gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder after closing the trunk. Will knew that his partner knew he was getting use to their murder husband routine, so if everything wasn’t _as_ smooth in the beginning, it was completely fine.

 

They drove to the harbor where their boat was docked. Once they were both in the boat with Amador’s body, Will turned on the engine and maneuvered the vessel out into the middle of the harbor. The goal: for the body to float from out beyond the harbor then back with the current toward the docks after a few days. Amador’s body would more or less appear in the same spot where the other victims had been found.

 

Hannibal joined Will back out on the deck after about ten minutes. He squeezed his partner’s shoulder. “Are you ready?”

 

“Let me steer out a little further just to be safe.” Will responded has the boat glided along the water. Hannibal smiled at Will’s command. His companion had truly accepted his becoming.

 

After a few moments, Will turned off the boat’s engines. Hannibal turned around to grab the plastic bag containing Amador’s body. Will joined him by his side and they both hoisted the body over the ledge of the boat. They counted to three before flinging the body into the water. The body was tied with weights, but the material the ties were made out of were designed to disintegrate after a few days in the water, allowing the body to free itself and float back to the docks.

 

Will watched Amador’s body sink. Hannibal placed a hand again on his shoulder. “We should be getting back…and get some sleep.” Hannibal whispered. He placed on a hand on Will’s chest before leaving the dock area to clean up whatever was left behind in the cabin. Will nodded and followed Hannibal closely behind.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the Present_

_Later that Friday..._

 

Hannibal unlocked the door to the first floor of the apartment. He and Will had only been in the space a few times since moving to Havana and the floor was mostly unfurnished.

 

He stood in the middle of the space silently thinking to himself. He thought maybe they could use the first floor for bigger social gatherings in the future. However, in the time being, the two men had used the space to saw off Amador's leg before dumping his body in the harbor. Hannibal walked around the space for a few moments, marking some notes on a notepad.

 

Suddenly, Hannibal stopped writing. He heard the unmistakably sound of running water filtering through the floor. Will was still out with his colleagues, so Hannibal prepared himself for the _other_ possibility. He slowly put his notepad back into his inside suit pocket and cautiously walked back toward the exit before turning off the lights and heading upstairs. He could have left the building to use the service entrance, but he didn't want to risk the possible of a confrontation outside.

 

Hannibal slowly unlocked the door to the second floor of the apartment. At once, after walking through the door, he sensed immediate danger, but before he could react a cloth bag restricted his vision along with his breathing. He struggled against the hold of his attacker as the bag tightened around his throat. Hannibal passed out from the lack of oxygen after he felt his attacker kick him a few times in the ribs.

 

Hannibal woke up with a heavy jerk. He was sitting in a chair with the bag over his head. Suddenly, the bag was lifted and Hannibal observed that he was tied to one of the dining room chairs facing the kitchen. He also saw Frederick sitting in a wheelchair, trying to smile, next to a taller man with a gruff exterior.

 

Hannibal chuckled slightly as he grinned at Frederick. “No one could really keep you dead, could they Frederick?”

 

Frederick smiled as he maneuvered his electric-powered wheeled chair over to Hannibal. He noticed that Frederick had received the first phase of a skin grafting procedure with what appeared to be lip implants. He laughed to himself, knowing that Frederick would never look like himself ever again.

 

“I’m glad you feel _mildly_ amused Hannibal, considering your current predicament.” Frederick twisted his face into a contorted smile. He motioned for the man behind him to come forward. The tall gruff man walked slowly up to Hannibal, wringing his hands together into a tight ball. Hannibal remained unfazed with a small grin in response to the action, looking Frederick's associate up and down.

 

“What’s it like, Frederick, to have others do your bidding? Hannibal looked over at Frederick. Frederick motioned again for his associate to hit Hannibal in the face, which he did, hard. Hannibal felt his nose crack under the weight of the force. Blood ran down his face and into his mouth. He spat the blood out and shot a toothy bloody grin back at Frederick.

 

"Well then." Hannibal said in response.

 

“I’m just going to cut to the chase. My associate, Ramón-” Frederick indicated the tall gruff man. “...and I are going to torture you. And when your _little_ boyfriend comes home, I’m going to kill him in front of you...before killing you.

 

Hannibal chuckled. He could tell Frederick was struggling to control his composure; faintly cracking at the sight of Hannibal not begging for his life. Frederick scowled before smiling to himself again. He waved his hand again for Ramón to untie Hannibal from the chair. But before letting his associate act, Frederick drove himself closer to Hannibal so that his chair was adjacent from the older man’s body, and close enough to whisper into his ear.

 

“You know, for a short time, Hannibal, I thought you and I would end up fucking. That was _long_ before I saw you for what you are.” Frederick whispered.

 

Hannibal grinned. “Glad you’re an excellent sleuth, Frederick, because I would never debase myself for _burnt_ tartare.”

 

Frederick motioned for Ramón to hit Hannibal in the face again. This time it didn’t hurt as much as the first punch, but Hannibal felt his jaw crack a bit. He remained poised.

 

Hannibal chuckled again. He could feel hot anger and revenge emanating from the burned man staring intently beside him.

 

Frederick cleared his throat. Hannibal observed the crumbling of Frederick’s facade. “As I mentioned before, I’m going to torture you and when your _boy toy_ comes home, I’m going to kill him in front of you before killing you. Myself.” Frederick raked over the words “boy toy” for emphasis.

 

“That seems like a perfect plan, however you miscalculated like always.” Hannibal retorted.

 

Frederick sighed a little as he smiled back at Hannibal. “And why is that Hannibal? You think you might be able to wiggle yourself free this time?”

 

Hannibal continued to stare at Frederick with a faint smile. “First, Will isn’t my _boy toy_ , as you so eloquently put it. He’s my husband." Hannibal inched closer to Frederick. "Second, I’m going to _kill_ you.”

 

Frederick’s eyes widened a little at the provocation, but he continued with his plan. “...I’ll be happy to see you try, Hannibal.” Frederick signaled for Ramón to finally untie Hannibal from the chair. Ramón loosened the ties binding Hannibal to the chair before grabbing him by the collar. He dragged Hannibal out of the chair and hauled him passed the bedroom, into the master bathroom, where the bath was full of water. He threw Hannibal into it and before Hannibal could push himself up, Ramón held his body down under water. Hannibal struggled against the man with his arms and legs still bound together.

 

After a few moments, Ramón let Hannibal rise to the surface. He was breathing heavily, but continued to stare at Frederick, grinning through his breaths. “Is that all you planned, Frederick? Tame...even by your standards.”

 

Frederick sneered as he motioned for Ramón to drag Hannibal out of the bath. Ramón took a hold of Hannibal's collar again, roughly dragging him out of the water. He pulled Hannibal along the hardwood floor back to the dining room, as Hannibal fought to wiggle free from the ties around his limbs. Ramón threw Hannibal onto the table. Luckily their dining room table was fashioned out of solid wood, so it didn’t buckle from the force, but Hannibal’s back felt like it had cracked from the pressure. Hannibal squirmed a bit on the table trying to get his bearings.

  
He heard an electric-powered saw click on.

 

Ramón took a hold of Hannibal’s limbs and held him down on the table. Frederick drove himself up to the table with the saw. The man had a manic grin glued to his face.

 

“You see Hannibal, I’m going to cut you into tiny little pieces.” Frederick stopped his wheelchair next to the table. He lifted himself slightly out of the chair, using his legs for support.

 

Frederick inched the saw closer to Hannibal face. Hannibal tried to turn his head away, but Ramón held it into place. “But first I’m going to skin you alive. Wouldn’t it be fitting if I added you to my list of skin donors?”

 

Hannibal breathed heavily as the saw inched closer to his face. “Even with my skin, Frederick, you’ll still be extremely hideous.”

 

As soon as Hannibal finished his statement, a loud pop sounded from behind the three men. Blood spurted from the front of Ramón’s head. The man fell forward with a loud thud.

 

Before Frederick could react to the commotion, Hannibal head butted him, knocking him unconscious. The upper half of his body toppled over to the side of his wheelchair.

 

* * *

 

Frederick woke up with a jolt. He was tied to his wheelchair facing Will and Hannibal, who were perched up against their dining room table. He cast his eyes downward to see his associate lying on a plastic bag in the middle of the room. Frederick slowly looked back up at Will and Hannibal. Both men seemed to be positively pleased with themselves. Hannibal was holding his side from where Ramón had kicked him earlier. Frederick could see that the older man was hurt, but the man looked sinister, smiling at Frederick’s predicament.

 

Hannibal spoke up first. “I’m going to assume that _no one_ , not even Jack, knows you’re here. Is that correct, Frederick?”

 

Frederick stayed silent. He gulped faintly at the provocation.

 

Will chuckled. Hannibal continued. “I knew you would let your anger blind what little sensibilities you do have.”

 

Hannibal got up from the table. He slowly walked up to Frederick with a knife in his hand that Will had handed to him before he straightened up. “Letting your revenge guide you is not a good look for you, Frederick.”

 

Frederick breathed heavily. He knew he was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. He watched Will get up from the table and disappear behind him. He tried to turn his head, but the pain from his burns prohibited him from from doing so. He tried to bounce his way out of the chair, but his body was tied down.

 

Hannibal swirled the knife in Frederick’s face. He leaned over and whispered into Frederick’s ear. “I’m going to kill you and I’m going to make sure that you _stay_ dead.”

 

Hannibal stepped back a bit before jamming the knife into Frederick’s chest. The wound wasn't enough to kill Frederick. Blood oozed out around the knife entrance as Frederick shrieked in pain. Immediately after Hannibal stabbed Frederick, Will pushed the wheelchair up against the table. Hannibal yanked the knife out of Frederick's chest before using it to cut his ties off the chair. Both men hoisted Frederick onto the dining room table. Will held Frederick down while Hannibal picked up the electric saw Frederick had brought with him.

 

Hannibal limped up to the dining room table. Frederick attempted to struggled against Will, but the man's body weight was greater than he expected. A maniacal smile slowly appeared on Will's face. Frederick heard the saw turn on.

 

He watched Hannibal slowly inch the whirling blade near his face. His eyes widened by the action. Suddenly, Hannibal stopped his movement; he looked over at Will.

 

"Would you like to do the honor of killing our friend here?"

 

"He's yours Hannibal. I gutted Robert." Even through the pain, Frederick couldn't believe what he was hearing. Graham had turned into a cold blooded killer. He regretted immediately his decision to go after Hannibal.

 

"I think it's more fitting if you go through with it. You wouldn't believe the rush I experience when watching you work."

 

Frederick grimaced as best as he could. The casual couple banter between the two right before his death was too much for him to handle. He watched Will seemingly think over Hannibal's proposition. Will took the saw before kissing Hannibal. Frederick's eyes widened again, and he tried to shriek, but Hannibal took a hold of him after kissing Will. The older man slapped a hand over his mouth.

 

"Are you sure?" Will asked.

 

"Certainly." Hannibal responded.

 

Will grinned slightly. He hovered the saw above Frederick's face. Frederick struggled as best as he could, but Hannibal pushed all of his weight up against his body. He felt as if he were being crushed; the pain from the burns radiated with every movement downward into their hideous table.

 

"Bye, Frederick." Will whispered. He inched the blade closer to Frederick's neck. Frederick watched the saw as it kissed his neck and buried its way into his flesh. He fought and screamed into Hannibal's hand. Before dying, all Frederick could see was a blurred image of Will silently chuckling to himself with blood splattering onto his face.

 

* * *

 

After spending a few hours at the university, Will had gone out to get drinks with Hanna and a few of their other colleagues. Will made sure to suggest a place near their apartment, so that he would be able to get home as quickly as possible.

 

He was getting a little nervous. It was close to six and he hadn’t heard from Hannibal whether he was at the museum, on his way home, or at home already. The two men had discussed sending each other updates as safety checks to warn each other if Frederick ever ambushed one of them at home. Will hadn’t received any messages from Hannibal since the last one from earlier that day. Will tapped his phone on the table, unconsciously bouncing his leg up and down nervously on his stool.

 

Hanna noticed how agitated Will appeared. “Hugh, is there something the matter?” She put her hand on his arm. Will attempted to appear more poised.

 

“...I know everyone is a little tense about Robert’s murder.” Hanna offered.

 

Will could tell Hanna was genuinely trying to be kind about the situation, but he could care less about Amador, obviously. He was concerned about Hannibal. However, he played into the charade, lest to raise red flags. “Robert wasn’t close to me, but I think knowing someone who was murdered is affecting me more than I realize.” Will lied.

 

Hanna gave him a look full of compassion. “Have you talked to Romain about it at all today?”

 

Will looked over at Hanna and placed a hand on her hand. “Not yet. I’ll talk to him when I get home…speaking of which...” Will finished the rest of his drink and put on his coat. “I should call it an early night and head home.”

 

“Of course, Hugh. Take care of yourself.” Hanna let out, trying to not appear as affected as she thought Will to be.

 

Will nodded, placing some cash on the table before heading outside. He walked up the road a bit before breaking out into a steady run. He knew that there was something wrong with Hannibal. Trying to hail a cab would take too long and their apartment was only fifteen minutes away by walking. He ran through the streets, checking his phone at the same time. No messages from Hannibal.

 

Will reached their apartment. He decided to use the service entrance to the second floor, which was located in an alley next to the apartment. He and Hannibal usually kept the service entrance closed, but they thought it would be best to use the entrance for emergencies, now that they knew about Frederick.

 

Will pulled out the service revolver he had kept from working with the FBI. It had been on him since the Fall and most likely saved by Hannibal who gave it back to him before they arrived in Havana. Will took out one of the freshly minted keys they had made for the service entrance and jammed the key into the keyhole.

 

He took his time going up the stairs. They were creaky from minimal use and he wanted to proceed undetected. Also, the stairs felt a little unsafe, so Will took his time ascending the steps to prevent them from bottoming out from underneath him.

 

He reached the top floor of their residence and heard a loud thud from inside along with muffled voices. Then the unmistakable sound of an electric power saw clicked on and Will knew he had to act fast. He pried the door open, which led into the kitchen. When he made his way into the kitchen, he saw Hannibal with his limbs bound, lying on the dining room table. A tall gruff looking man was holding him down, while Frederick was holding a power saw to Hannibal’s face. Will didn’t think twice. He shot the man holding Hannibal down on the table in the head. Hannibal responded by headbutting Frederick.

 

Will visually cleared the area before he ran over to check Hannibal. “Hannibal! Are you okay?” Will freed his partner from the ties before wrapping his arms around him. He was glad he came home when he did. He pulled away a bit when Hannibal winced in pain.

 

Hannibal smiled faintly before propping himself up as best as he could. He ribcage hurt like hell. “I’m fine, my love...I think my rib cage might be bruised, however.” Will helped Hannibal get down off from the table and waited for the older man to steady himself.

 

“Could you get the plastic sheets from the bedroom, please?” Hannibal asked Will as he perched himself up against the dining room table, gaining back control of his body. Will nodded and disappeared into the bedroom. He came back with the plastic sheets. Hannibal took the sheets and tried to hobble over toward Ramón, whose head wound was oozing blood all over the hardwood floor. Will stopped Hannibal. “Here, just stay here, baby. I got it.”

 

Will took the sheets from Hannibal and squatted down to roll over Ramón onto the sheets. He was a _lot_ heavier than Will had expected, but he didn’t want Hannibal to overexert himself.

  
Will finally positioned Ramón on top of the plastic sheets. He went into the kitchen to get bleach and water. Hannibal watched Will clean up the blood before it seeped down and stained the hardwood floors.

 

Will cleaned the blood off his arms as best as he could before he returned to dismantled Frederick’s wheelchair, so the man couldn’t move when he woke up. Will pushed Frederick's chair to face the dining room table before he tied his hands to the armrest of the chair as well. Will returned to the table with Hannibal. Hannibal looked at him with a reassuring look.

 

“Are you okay to continue?” Will asked as he rubbed Hannibal’s back, knowing full well what the answer would be.

 

“Yes. I’m _definitely_ sure.” Hannibal answered.

 

Will smiled slightly before getting up from the table. He held out some smelling salts that they kept in the bedroom with the plastic sheets to wake Frederick. Frederick woke up stunned. They watched him struggle to bounce his way out of the chair. Will waited for Hannibal to speak first.

 

“I’m going to assume that _no one_ , not even Jack, knows you’re here. Is that correct, Frederick?”

 

Frederick stayed silent. Will couldn’t help himself at the sight of Frederick, wide eyed with fear. He chuckled as Hannibal continued. “I knew you would let your anger blind what little sensibilities you do have.”

 

Will handed Hannibal the knife he used to gut Amador with. Hannibal took the knife before taking his time to walk toward Frederick. Will knew that Hannibal could handle himself, but he was still concerned about his partner’s injuries.

 

“Letting your revenge guide you is not a good look for you, Frederick.” Hannibal said after he reached the wheelchair.

 

Will used that as a signal to take his position behind their victim. He grinned as he watched Frederick try to follow him with his gaze, but struggle to do so. The two men watched Frederick continue to bounce his way out of the chair.

 

Hannibal swirled the knife in Frederick’s face as he leaned over to whisper into Frederick’s ear. “I’m going to kill you and I’m going to make sure that you _stay_ dead.” Hannibal stepped back a bit before jamming the knife into Frederick’s chest. He planned to only inflict a serious, non-fatal wound; he wanted to watch Frederick suffer before he died. Hannibal acknowledged Will with a slight nod, which prompted the younger man to push the wheelchair up against their dining room table.

 

Hannibal yanked the knife out of Frederick's chest before using it to cut his ties off the chair. Both he and Will then hoisted Frederick onto the dining room table. Will held their victim down while Hannibal picked up the electric saw Frederick had brought with him.

 

Hannibal studied the blade. He thought about how beautiful Will had looked when he killed his colleague; the sexual energy produced from the younger man was unbelievable. He wanted to experience the feeling again.

 

Hannibal took his time returning to the table. He watched Frederick struggle against Will's body weight. A pleased smile registered on Will's face as he remained poised holding Frederick down.

 

Hannibal turned the saw on. He inched the blade toward Frederick's face before stopping the movement just a centimeter away from the man's left eye. He looked over at Will. "Would you like to do the honor of killing our friend here?"

 

"He's yours Hannibal. I gutted Robert." Will answered. Hannibal knew that Will wanted to share their killings together, but the point wasn't to trade off their hunts; Hannibal would experienced the same thrill watching Will work as if he were completing the act himself, maybe even greater a feeling.

 

"I think it's more fitting if you go through with it. You wouldn't believe the rush I experience when watching you work." Hannibal observed Will acknowledge the hint. Will took the saw before leaning further toward Hannibal. He kissed his partner who accepted by pulling his partner into a slow lingering kiss. Will held Frederick down with one hand as the man struggled underneath them.

 

"Are you sure?" Will asked, pulling away; lips flushed a light shade of pink from the kiss.

 

"Certainly." Hannibal responded, staring at Will's lips, eagerly wanting more.

 

Will grinned slightly. Hannibal switched places with Will and held Frederick down against the table. He watched his partner hover the saw above their victim's face.

 

"Bye, Frederick." Will whispered. He inched the blade closer to Frederick's neck. He let the blade lightly kiss Frederick's flesh, before pushing the blade down further into the man's neck. Blood splattering into his face as well as Hannibal's. Hannibal was transfixed on Will's smile as the blade jagged its way through Frederick's neck. He felt Frederick's body go limp.

 

Hannibal let go of Frederick, nearly falling over from the pain, but Will grabbed him gently. “Here, let me help you to the bed.” Will whispered into his ear as he tenderly pulled up Hannibal up to a standing position. Hannibal nodded back as Will helped him to their bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal had been lying in the bed as Will cleaned up what he could by himself. Before Will cleaned up the mess outside in the dining room, he helped Hannibal redress into clean clothes and tended to his injuries. Hannibal had taught Will how to stitch small sutures and he had gotten better doing so with practice.

 

Will shoved a plastic bag over Ramón’s body and left him in the middle of the dining room for later. He pulled a plastic bag over Frederick's headless body, and stuffed his head into the bag before dragging him to stack on top of Ramón. He figured that they could utilize Frederick's associate's torso to continue their copycat pattern. Frederick's missing head would add a nice touch to the murder profile as well. They had all of Frederick's identification papers and it would take the police a while to figure out who the headless body belonged to.

 

Will joined Hannibal back in the bedroom and plopped down onto the bed. Hannibal had a bag of frozen peas hugged up against his side. Luckily his ribs were only bruised.

 

Will turned his head to look at Hannibal. He put his hand on his partner’s thigh. “How are you holding up?”

 

“I think my nose it definitely broken, but I know I won’t be as _unsightly_ as Frederick.” Hannibal said playfully. Will chuckled a little. He appreciated Hannibal’s sense of humor even in the most dire of situations.

 

Hannibal grew silent after a while. Will sensed something was bothering him. “Will, I need to speak with you about Sebastián.” Hannibal let out after a few moments of silence.

 

Will felt a lump grow in his throat. He didn’t know why he felt so anxious suddenly. Well he _knew_ why. He was afraid of whatever Hannibal had to say about his curatorial assistant.

 

Hannibal put a hand on Will’s thigh and lightly caressed it. “Sebastián made an inappropriate advance toward me the night you were attacked. I should have told you then, but of course, I didn’t want to worry you any further. And you were also recovering the whole week.”

 

Will couldn’t help but feel jealous. He knew he shouldn’t be angry, but the thought of Hannibal with Sebastián was too much to for his mind to manage. Yet, he knew Hannibal was trying to be as transparent as possible with their relationship.

 

Although Hannibal did what he could to ease Will into a comfortable life with him, Will couldn’t help but feel sometimes that Hannibal _might_ be using him. He knew it was unfounded to think so, but his emotions overtook his reasoning from time to time. He didn’t know what he would do if he caught Hannibal with someone else. The betrayal would be too incredible to manage.

 

Yet, his reasoning pulled him back to reality. Hannibal wouldn’t be this vulnerable with _anybody_. The two thoughts on the matter battled themselves in Will’s mind, and some days, it consumed his thoughts entirely. He forced himself to seek the reality of the situation: Hannibal chose to be with him and no one else.

 

Will gently cupped his partner’s face. “Hannibal, thank you for telling me.” Hannibal meekly smiled back at him, which elicited a warm sensation down below in Will at observing his partner’s vulnerability. He wanted to kiss Hannibal, possibly lead into sex, but he knew Hannibal needed to rest from his injuries.

 

Hannibal nestled his head against the mound of pillows Will had propped him up against. Will caressed Hannibal’s thigh. He truly did appreciate that Hannibal was openly honest with him, yet he couldn’t help but feel that he should be on guard regarding Hannibal’s colleague.

 

* * *

  

_A week later..._

 

“Hannibal! Keep talking to me…please!” Will screams as he holds Hannibal’s head in one hand and supports his body with the other.

 

Will turned his body as his mind replayed the details of his nightmare. He was sweating, trying to wake up, but his mind wouldn’t let him.

 

Hannibal appears to be unconscious, the blood seeps through his shirt from a wound to his stomach. Will tries to stop the bleeding with the hand that was supporting his partner’s head, but his nerves cause his hand to shake uncontrollably. The blood oozes out, dashing his efforts at trying to stop the stream of blood. Hannibal’s eyes are closed, he looks peaceful. Will sobs and shakes at the thought of losing Hannibal right here.

 

Will groaned in his sleep. He ground his teeth against each other. His eyes were moist from his sobbing encroaching over into reality.

 

“Hannibal! Please!” Will struggles to pull Hannibal’s body up to meet his own. His body is shaking violently from the shock of seeing his partner die. He rocks with Hannibal’s lifeless body as he stifles his cries against the latter’s clothing. Will is covered in blood, most of it Hannibal’s. He closes his eyes as he realizes the gravity of the situation.

 

Hannibal dies again in his arms.

 

Will shot up from the sofa. He was drenched in sweat as were the pillows he was lying on. He looked around trying to remember through a hazy-after-sleep fog where he was. He realized he was still in his apartment and that he came home to work on his class's final grades. He immediately looked for his phone. He saw that he had a few missed messages from Hanna and one from Hannibal. He responded to Hanna’s messages before calling Hannibal’s office at the museum.

 

The phone on the receiving end rang a few moments before Will realized that Hannibal wasn’t at his desk and that his office assistant must be busy. He hurriedly got up from the sofa and went into the bedroom to change his clothes.

 

_About an hour later..._

 

Will walked down the row of offices that led to Hannibal’s back office. He forgot how nice the spaces were. He reached Hannibal’s assistant’s small office adjacent to Hannibal’s. Will remarked to himself how much more spacious Clara’s office was compared to his at the university.

 

“Oh! Professor Moreau! How are you?” Clara said instantly when she noticed Will walk up to her office. He smiled and waved in response.

 

“Is Romain in his office? I tried calling him, but I didn’t get an answer on his cell or his desk phone.”

 

“Oh, he’s in a meeting right now with some donors, but should be done any minute now. Would you like to wait inside his office for him?” Clara offered.

 

Will nodded. “Sure. Thank you. Clara.”

 

Clara got up from her desk to unlock Hannibal’s office door for him. “Would you like anything while you wait?”

 

Will shook his hand to indicate he was fine. “I’m okay for right now, but thank you, Clara.” Will stepped into the office and sat down on the sofa on the right side of Hannibal’s desk.

 

_About thirty minutes later..._

 

Hannibal walked down the row of offices, acknowledging colleagues as he passed their office spaces. He reached his own office, but before he could open the door Clara stopped him.

 

“Oh, Romain! Your husband is here to see you.” Clara said, getting up from her desk just to lean forward.

 

Hannibal allowed a slightly confused expression to escape his otherwise stoic façade. “Oh, I don’t remember him needing to seeing me today.”

 

“He came in about thirty minutes ago. He said he was trying to reach you, but you were unavailable.” Clara explained.

 

Hannibal nodded. “Could you hold all of my calls for about an hour or two?”

 

“Of, course.” Clara responded.

 

Hannibal smiled before opening the door to his office. He saw Will sitting on the sofa, looking extremely anxious.

 

“Hi…” Will said after a moment.

 

“Hi.” Hannibal answered. He hung up his coat before joining Will on the sofa. He took his time before speaking, making sure to be gentle with his words. “Is this about the nightmare?”

 

Will sighed. “How did you know I wanted to talk to you about it?” Will knew Hannibal was perceptive, but he wasn’t a mind reader.

 

Hannibal sat down on the sofa with Will. He put his hand on the nape of Will’s neck and gently caressed him. “We hadn’t gotten a chance to really discuss the root causes. Did it occur again?”

 

Will nodded. _Damn Hannibal, you’re good._

 

Will sighed before speaking. “I was taking a nap in between grading and had the same nightmare as before.” Will felt Hannibal move his hand to the small of his back before he wrapped an arm around his waist. Will leaned into the embrace as he let his body rest onto Hannibal.

 

“Do you have reason to believe your recurring nightmare might have something to do with the change in our relationship?” Hannibal gently asked.

 

Will straightened up. “...what do you mean?”

 

Hannibal continued to caress Will’s arm. “We’ve never hunted together before. And the last few weeks have been…intense…for lack of a better word. The series of events from moving to Havana, killing your colleague and then having to deal with Frederick, may be a few underlying causes for the nightmares.”

 

Will nodded as he thought about Hannibal’s prognosis. The last few weeks, compared to the first couple of months of moving, had been a lot more to deal with than Will had expected. He was comfortable with realizing his becoming with Hannibal, but the intensity of the last two killings drudged up a fear he had harbored since beginning a relationship with Hannibal: the fear of losing his partner.

 

Will got up from the sofa and walked over to Hannibal’s desk. He took his time before speaking again. “I…I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to hunt anymore.” Will said after a few moments of silence.

 

Will waited before he turned around to face Hannibal. Hannibal sat silently on the sofa with his legs crossed, one hand rested on the top of the furniture. “Will, you had only a dream.”

 

“Frederick almost killed you, if I didn’t come home when I did.” Will responded.

 

Hannibal sighed. He tried not agitate Will any further, but they had been able to take care of themselves since killing Dolarhyde. He understood Will’s hesitation after Frederick, but his fears were unfounded.

 

“Will I understand why you concerned, but we’ve been careful. We knew Frederick’s agenda.” Hannibal added.

 

Will sighed again. He sat back down on the sofa. “Why can’t just act like a normal couple?

 

“A normal couple?” Hannibal let Will take a hold of his hands.

 

“Yes _normal_. Or at least try it.”

 

Hannibal looked at Will and then stared at the other side of the office. He loved Will greatly and would do anything for him, but not being able to "remove" minor annoyances seemed unfeasible.

 

Hannibal looked back at Will. He could sense in Will’s eyes hurt and concern for both of their safety. Hannibal knew that they were capable of protecting themselves from any danger, but he wanted Will to be happy. If discontinuing hunting for a while was what his partner needed, then he would acquiesce.

 

Hannibal cupped Will’s face with his right hand and stroked the younger man’s lips with his thumb. “Of, course. Whatever you need.”

 

Will sighed with relief as he moved in to kiss Hannibal. He lightly kissed Hannibal on the lips before he drew his partner in closer with a tug at Hannibal’s jacket for a long lingering kiss.

 

Hannibal pulled away a bit after embracing his partner for awhile. “Did you drive here? Would you like for me to drive you home? I could make you soup.”

 

Will smiled as he went in to kiss Hannibal again. “That sounds great actually, but don’t you need to be here?”

 

“I can swing a couple of hours.” Hannibal said as he got up from the sofa. Will stood up and followed Hannibal out of the office. They stopped by Clara’s desk first.

 

“Clara, I’m going to go home for an hour or so.” Hannibal said to his assistant before they left.

 

Clara nodded as Hannibal and Will walked down the row of offices.

 

* * *

 

_A few hours later..._

 

Hannibal had returned to the museum to prep for another meeting later in the day. He sat at his desk, his mind occupied with thoughts of Will. He was concerned for partner’s mental health. He was sure Will had completely crossed over; the way they had worked seamlessly together with Amador and Frederick lingered in the back of his mind. However, it did make sense that Will was getting use to his new life. He would do anything for Will, so the break from hunting would be fine. But if the opportunity arose again, they would need to resume if the victim was a threat to their well being.

 

Hannibal typed out a few notes on his laptop then checked his wristwatch. He had about an hour before this meeting with the museum director, so he took the time to relax a little before the meeting. He looked around his desk for a pen to write a thank you note to a donor when he noticed that the framed photograph he had of Will had been turned slightly. He stared at the object for a few seconds. He leaned closer and noticed an unmistakable thumb print on the glass near the top left hand corner of the frame. Hannibal thought for a second that maybe the thumb print belonged to Will, but then his thoughts turned to Sebastián.

 

Hannibal stood up swiftly from his desk. He walked outside and looked for Clara. She was sitting at her desk typing.

 

“Clara, was there anyone in my office when I was gone?” Hannibal asked.

 

“Oh, just Sebastián. He thought he had forgotten something in there.” Clara responded.

 

Hannibal cocked his head slightly. “Did you let him in or did he let himself in?”

 

Clara blushed a little, betraying that she was a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Romain. He was in there while I went to the restroom. I asked him how he got in and he said that you gave him a spare key.”

 

Hannibal remained calm, but inwardly his core was swelling with anger at the boldness of Sebastián Soto. “Thank you, Clara. Would you let me know if he attempts to do the same in the future?”

 

“Of, course, Romain. I’m sorry again. I should have forced him to wait.”

 

Hannibal gently waved off the last statement. He was too concerned with the way Sebastián was acting to be upset with her. Besides, why wouldn’t she believe Sebastián? “Clara, it’s alright. Just make a note of anything in the future, okay? I greatly appreciate it.”

 

“Of, course, Romain.”

  
Hannibal went back into his office. He picked up his desk phone to call Will to talk to him concerns, but before he could do so, his door opened and the museum director, Diego José Francisco de Vincente Matías (or Deigo to only Hannibal), walked in unannounced. He was a tall round man with a jolly grin glued to his face, which made his worst barbs seem more irritating. He was mostly even keel with Hannibal, however.

 

“Romain! Do you have minute?” Diego said has he took a seat in front of Hannibal’s desk.

 

Hannibal returned the desk phone to the receiver and sat down in his desk chair. “Of, course, but would you like to wait until our meeting in about an hour to discuss?”

 

Diego shook his head firmly. “Emergency meeting, I’m sorry to admit. We have a few pieces that were flown in earlier and appear to be damaged. I need you to come with me to assess the damage.”

 

Hannibal stayed poised. Usually Diego didn’t get involved in the handling of art, so it seemed as if the potential damage of these few pieces was crucial. He nodded. “Of, course, Diego.”

 

Hannibal followed Diego out of his office and to the museum conservation labs. They spent about an hour noting the damage to some of the pieces that were to be housed in the decorative arts department.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal hurried back to his office to call Will about Sebastián’s behavior. He had forgotten his cell phone in his office when he went with Diego to discuss the art damage. Hannibal made it passed one row of offices, before another colleague stopped him in the hall.

 

“Romain! I need to speak to you for a minute about the donor awards.” Sofía Carmona was the museum staff member in charge of everything related to membership and donor circles. Hannibal knew he couldn’t brush her off; although her pay grade was unforgivably lower than his, she welded power that heavily swayed a huge funding source for the museum.

 

“Of, course, Sofía.” Hannibal stepped into her office. He closed the door behind him and listened to Sofía complain about a few lost memberships and how the awards should be given out this year compared to last year's. He furtively looked at his watch, and realized that he had been in her office for about forty-five minutes. He excused himself after she finished her final thought on the matter, and swiftly walked out of the office toward his own.

 

He was about a few offices away from his own until he saw one of the museum archivists walking toward him, indicating that he wanted to speak with Hannibal. John Cleve was a British historian who had been living in Havana for about twenty years, working on organizing the personal materials relating to the museum’s past directors, as well as the general history of the museum. His wife, Mariana Reyes, also worked as an archivist on the same project. He stopped Hannibal to discuss possible ways of incorporating a past director’s personal notes on the history of the decorative arts department within an upcoming exhibit. Hannibal patiently listened to Cleve speak for about an hour before he excused himself. By this time, the offices were filtering out, indicating that the people were leaving for home.

 

Hannibal hurried toward his office. He noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Clara’s office was empty. Hannibal took his time approaching the office, knowing full well that Sebastián was in there, waiting for him. He walked into the office, poised. Sebastián was sitting in his desk chair, studying the framed photograph of Will.

 

“Sebastián.” Hannibal started as he closed the door to his office.

 

Sebastián looked up from the photograph and smiled at Hannibal. It was then that Hannibal fully realized what Sebastián was capable of; the sinister grin hinted at a young, yet cultivated darkness.

 

“Aw Romain. I was just admiring this photograph of your husband, Hugh.” Sebastián gently placed the frame down as he rose from the desk. Hannibal circled to the other side of the room, waiting for a possible attack. Sebastián looked at Hannibal and smiled. He then walked over toward Hannibal. The younger man got close enough to kiss him; Hannibal could feel his hot breath.

 

“It would be a shame if something happened to him, wouldn’t it?” Sebastián mused after a few minutes. Before Hannibal could react, Sebastián grabbed him by the arms and forcibly pulled him in for an angry kiss.

 

Right as Sebastián pressed his lips onto Hannibal’s, the office door opened. Will appeared holding a container. Hannibal reprogrammed his mind from killing Sebastián to Will walking in on them.

 

* * *

 

Will almost dropped the soup container he was holding. He couldn’t believe what was in front of him. He thought maybe he was dreaming this entire time; lying in their bed at home, smiling to himself after kissing Hannibal goodbye.

 

But no, he was standing in Hannibal’s office watching Hannibal kissing someone else. That someone else being the person haunting his mind with thoughts of deception and mistrust. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

 

Will watched Hannibal push his colleague away before looking over at him. He seemed surprised at the sight of Will in his office.

 

_...surprised that I caught you?_

 

Will gathered himself, closed his eyes, and started to speak. “…I brought you the rest of the soup you made in case you were hungry, but I didn’t realize you were otherwise _occupied_.”

 

“Hugh-”

 

Will couldn’t listen to what Hannibal had to say. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to hear it. It didn’t matter anymore. He slammed the door shut before Hannibal could finish his statement and walked swiftly away from the office. The museum was so dark and dank after hours, Will almost forgot which direction the private staff parking garage was in. He found the stairs to the garage, but had to stable himself up against the railing to prevent tripping over himself as he rushed down the stairs.

 

He tried grabbing the keys in his pocket before reaching the car, but the anger from feeling betrayed rendered his hands numb, preventing him from getting a good grasp on the keys. It felt like an entirety trying to reach the car.

 

“Will! Will!”

 

Will heard Hannibal shouting his name, and not his false identity. He really didn’t care if anyone heard them. It was over as far as he was concerned.

 

Will felt Hannibal catch up with him and took a gentle hold of his arm. “Will-”.

 

Will yanked his arm away, spun around, and slapped Hannibal in the face. He averted his eyes slightly so that Hannibal couldn’t see that he had been crying on the way from the office to the car. Hannibal was holding his face, visibly upset and shocked by being slapped.

 

“I can’t fucking believe you. You are _so_ manipulative! I can’t believe I trusted you!”

 

Hannibal started to speak, but Will cut him off. “Shut up! You don’t get to talk.” Hannibal stayed quiet, but looked absolutely hurt from being slapped and yelled at by his companion. Will didn’t care. He was beside himself; his anger fuming.

 

“So, all of _this_ was just a huge sham. Much like how you used Bedelia and god knows anyone else to get want you want.” Will turned around so that his back was facing Hannibal.

 

“I’m so stupid. I _knew_ you were hiding something.”

 

“Will, Sebastián attack-”

 

Will spun around again and inched closer to Hannibal. “I said, shut the fuck up!” Will’s eyes swelled up again with tears. “You took advantage of me…apparently, I’m such a fucking idiot to believe anything that comes out your mouth. I’m so fucking stupid!”

 

Will turned around and unlocked the car. He felt Hannibal trying to take hold of his arm again, but he yanked it away and slid into the car. He could hear Hannibal trying to talk to him, but it didn’t matter. He was too livid to even pay attention.

 

Will drove his car back to their neighborhood. There was a parking garage up the street from their residence, where they normally kept their cars. Will parked next to where Hannibal usually parked his and waited in silence. He didn’t want to go inside the apartment. He tried to fight back another flood of tears, but a heavy stream gushed out and all Will could do was hold the steering wheel sobbing. Was Hannibal truly using him? He wasn’t sure. He had placed so much trust into his supposed partner. They killed together. They were a _couple_ , albeit a unique one.

 

They loved each other, or so Will thought...they had been so intimate…

 

Will lurched forward at the thought of him getting fucked by Hannibal. At that moment, he felt used. He started sobbing again.

 

_…I love him so much…why would he do this to me?_

 

Will cried for about five more minutes, even though it felt like hours. He pulled down the mirror to look at himself. His eyes were red and puffy. He slammed the mirror back up and slouched in the seat.

 

After a few more moments, Will got out of the car, he didn’t want Hannibal to find him there because he was sure his partner would be coming home any minute to explain himself. He unlocked the car and hopped out. He decided to go to a bar up the street from their apartment to be by himself for a while.

 

* * *

 

Will slammed the office door. Hannibal pivoted quickly to face Sebastián. The younger man looked pleased with himself.

 

“I’m going to give you the courtesy of leaving now. And if I ever see your face again, I will kill you.” Hannibal served Sebastián a look of such intensity, that his colleague appeared to be caught off guard by the expression. It took all of Hannibal’s practiced self-control not to kill Sebastián in his office. He knew something about the younger man was dangerous, yet he needed to chase after Will, so the threat would have to suffice.

 

Hannibal left the office and slammed the door behind him. He headed straight for the private parking garage, running a quickly as possible so he could catch Will before his partner left.

 

He ran into the stairwell, right before the entrance to the parking garage closed. He slid through the narrow opening and spotted Will on the other side of the garage.

 

“Will! Will!” Hannibal shouted, but Will didn’t turned around. He finally caught up with the younger man and tried to hold onto to his arm. “Will-”.

 

Will yanked his arm away, spun around, and slapped him in his face. Hannibal’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that Will had just slapped him. He knew his partner was upset, but the anger emanating from his companion now was more than what had transpired in the office. He observed that Will had also been crying.

 

“I can’t fucking believe you. You are _so_ manipulative! I can’t believe I trusted you!” Will shouted. Hannibal was frustrated with himself for not diffusing the situation earlier when he had the chance. He could have avoided this whole altercation and prevented his partner from becoming so upset. He started to speak up to explain that Sebastián had basically assaulted him in his office, but Will cut him off.

 

“Shut up! You don’t get to talk.” Will shouted back. Hannibal decided it was best to stay quiet and let Will yell at him, lest he end up pushing his partner away even further.

 

“So, all of _this_ was just a huge sham. Much like how you used Bedelia and god knows anyone else to get what you want.” Hannibal couldn’t believe what Will was saying. He had no idea the younger man was still fuming over Bedelia.

 

“I’m so stupid. I _knew_ you were hiding something.” Will’s back was turned and his arms were crossed. Hannibal could hear him starting to sob.

 

He walked forward a bit and opened his mouth to speak. “Will, Sebastián attack-”

 

But before he could finish, Will spun around again and inched closer. “I said, shut the fuck up!” Hannibal watched Will’s eyes swell up with tears.

 

“You took advantage of me…apparently, I’m such a fucking idiot to believe anything that comes out your mouth. I’m so fucking stupid!”

 

Hannibal attempted to calm down his partner, but Will pivoted away from him and unlocked the car. He ran up to the younger man and gently took a hold of his arm, but Will yanked his arm away before sliding into the car. Will had slammed the car door shut, but Hannibal kept talking to him with hopes that his partner would hear him.

 

“Will, I promise you nothing happened! I would _never_ disrespect you that way. I need you to listen!” But Will didn’t appear to be listening. Hannibal had to jump out of the way to avoid getting bumped by the car as Will pulled out of the parking space. He watched Will drive away.

 

Hannibal thought quickly. He could go after his colleague to prevent a potential threat, but decided it was best to go home and wait for Will. He figured that Will wouldn’t go home first, however, so he would wait for him if that were the case.

  
Hannibal hopped into his car. He thought about his concerns relating to Sebastián. He was serious when he promised to kill him if he ever saw him again. Even if Will didn’t want them to hunt anymore, Sebastián was a threat that needed to be terminated.

 

He turned on the car and headed home.

 

* * *

 

The apartment was pitch black when Hannibal arrived. There was no sign of Will. He thought about calling him to make sure he was safe, but Hannibal knew he wouldn’t answer his phone, so he waited instead. If it got too late, he would go out and search for him.

 

Hannibal went into the kitchen and started to prepare a plate of Will’s favorite snacks, both as a stress reliever and for his partner if he was hungry later.

 

After about an hour, Hannibal heard the front door unlock and slowly open. He steadied himself up against the counter after he dried his hands with one of the kitchen towels. He breathed slightly to calm himself before appearing before Will. He had been sure that the younger man would stay out all night, and possibly not come home. However, he was relieved that Will came home earlier than he had expected.

 

Hannibal walked around the kitchen counter as Will walked into their dining room. Hannibal stopped short of the dining room table and stared back at Will, who stood unflinching at the other end of the two spaces. Hannibal waited for Will to speak first.

 

“...I-I just wanted to say that I apologize for slapping you. That was way out of line.”

 

Hannibal let out a small sigh of relief and moved an inch closer toward Will. The younger man reciprocated the action.

 

Will waited before speaking. “…Hannibal…do you love me?”

 

Hannibal almost lost his composure. Of course, he loved Will. It hurt that he had to be asked something as simple as that, but he could sense Will was hurt.

 

“Will, of course I do. I tried to call you today. Sebastián has been lurking in my office and I didn’t realize it was something to be concerned about until after I drove you home today.”

 

Will stayed quiet.

 

“I noticed that he was studying items in my office, specifically the photo of you I keep on my desk. And before I could reach you…this isn’t an excuse…I was busy the last few hours at the museum, but I could have taken a minute to call you… but before I could reach you, Sebastián assaulted me in my office.”

 

Will continued to stay quiet. Will had been practicing replicating Hannibal’s stoic demeanor for when they were hunting, however, Hannibal observed a hint of Will analyzing the events of the day in his head; betraying his otherwise poised expression.

 

“...Hannibal...I’m scared...” Will finally admitted. Hannibal waited to approach him.

 

“...I’m scared that this is all a huge lie and that you’re only using me out of convenience.” Will continued. He knew what he was saying would hurt Hannibal, but he couldn’t keep lying to himself about his lingering feelings of possible rejection.

 

Hannibal looked concerned. Will didn’t expect him to emote so easily. “Will. I would never use you. It’s taken me years to find someone like you. Do you really think I would throw it away?”

 

Will waited. Suddenly he felt a wave of emotion overcome him.

 

“Will, I love you so much. I’ve never felt for someone the way that I feel for you.” Hannibal said slowly as he inched closer to Will.

 

Will knew that Hannibal loved him and he loved Hannibal. This recent outburst had been the result of lingering issues before the Fall. He knew that he would have kept the sexual advances to himself, if it had been him, and diffused the situation alone without worrying Hannibal. Also, the fact that Sebastián Soto assaulted Hannibal after stalking him suggested something sinister about the man.

 

Will thought about the way he and Hannibal had been to each other since the Fall. Hannibal had taken the time to guide Will into his becoming; he never _once_ forced him to do anything he didn’t want to do. There was no way Hannibal would let himself be so intimate and vulnerable with someone he didn’t care about. They both needed each other, and Will wanted to be with Hannibal. He told himself that he needed to trust his partner more. He needed to take a leap of faith in trusting that Hannibal would honor his commitment.

 

 _…I would never ruin our relationship with infidelity. You mean too much to me._ Will thought back to their time in their temporary hideout. He thought about the way Hannibal had looked at him as his partner wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him into a loving embrace.

 

_…Will, trust me when I say that I will never stray away from you…_

 

Will looked at Hannibal. “Hannibal I love you too…so much.” Hannibal walked up to Will and gently cupped his face with both hands. He stroked Will’s face with his right thumb as Will leaned in the gesture. Will leaned forward to kiss Hannibal as the older man kissed him back. Will couldn’t stop his eyes from swelling with tears as he and Hannibal stood in a lingering embrace in the middle of their dining room. Will brushed Hannibal’s face with his thumb and felt moisture. He had his eyes close, but he knew from the dampness on his thumb, that Hannibal was crying.

 

Will pulled away a bit after a few moments. “Hannibal…could we go to bed? I’m so exhausted…I can hardly stand up…”

 

Hannibal nodded as he continued to stare into Will’s eyes. Will couldn’t look away from Hannibal; his partner looked so beautiful as he let his emotions surface to show how much he cared about him. Will felt horrible for slapping Hannibal in the face; jumping to conclusions about his companion without asking him what was going on first.

 

Hannibal slid his hand down from Will’s face, down his shoulder, along his arm, and took hold of his partner’s hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze before leading Will into their bedroom.

 

Will sat down hard on the bed when they entered their bedroom. He held his head with one hand; pounding radiated from his skull as a result from all of the crying and shouting he had done in the past couple of hours. He felt Hannibal sit down next to him on the bed and wrap an arm around his waist.

 

“Do you need anything?” Hannibal whispered.

 

Will shook his head as he turned to face Hannibal. Will put his hand on Hannibal’s face. “No, I just want to be with you right now.”

 

Will pulled Hannibal in for a kiss and Hannibal responded by putting his other hand on his companion’s thigh. After embracing Will in a lingering kiss, Hannibal moved his hand from Will’s thigh toward his waist, brushing the younger man’s cock in the act. Will moaned at the gesture as he pulled Hannibal down on the bed with him. Hannibal laid on top of Will, grinding his hips up against his partner. Will lifted himself up to take Hannibal’s shirt off. Hannibal responded by yanking Will’s shirt completely off, then his partner’s pants before pulling his own off. Will slipped a finger underneath the band of Hannibal’s boxer briefs, before caressing his partner’s ass.

  
Hannibal put one hand on Will’s side and slowly let his hand glide up his back to the back of his neck as he steadily pushed his hips down harder. Both men were moaning deeply into each other’s mouths.

 

  
“…I love you so much, Hannibal…” Will managed in between each kiss.

 

Hannibal pulled away to look Will in the eye. “No one knows the depth of my love for you. You are my everything, Will Graham.”

 

Will almost started to cry again from the declaration. He pulled Hannibal in, firmly pressing his lips into his partner's. He flipped Hannibal onto his back and yanked both of their boxer briefs off. Will took a hold of Hannibal’s cock and started to caress it gently with his hand. Hannibal moaned as Will move his hand up and down his shaft. Will kissed Hannibal’s neck before moving downward toward Hannibal’s hardening cock, leaving warm kisses behind. He replaced his hand with his mouth and licked up and down the shaft, slowly moving his hand upward onto Hannibal’s chest.

 

Hannibal responded by pumping his hips upward and downward in motion with Will’s movement. Will replaced his mouth with his hand again and slowly stroked up and down Hannibal’s shaft. He came up to meet Hannibal with a kiss as their lips feverishly sought out each other. Hannibal let Will push him up against the headboard of the bed. Will was still holding onto his cock, now stroking it with a firmer grasp. He reached for the nightstand and pulled out the bottle of lube. Will slicked Hannibal’s cock with the lube before positioning himself on top of his partner.

 

Will slid his ass down Hannibal’s shaft as his partner moaned from the action. Will put his arms around Hannibal’s neck as he pulled his partner up meet him. Hannibal put his hands on Will’s ass as Will slowly ground his ass into Hannibal’s lap. Both men were moaning steadily from the movement of Will’s body. Will lifted himself up and down on Hannibal’s cock as the grasp on his ass grew firmer. He nudged his forehead into the crook of Hannibal’s neck as he felt his body tensing. He could feel Hannibal tensing as well.

 

Hannibal gently used his body to push Will onto his back. Hannibal laid down on top of his partner, as Will responded by wrapping his legs around Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal ran his fingers through Will’s hair. Will wrapped a hand around Hannibal’s neck and held onto to his partner’s body with the other. They passionately kissed each other as Hannibal pushed himself in and out of Will.

 

Will broke away from the kiss, resting his cheek up against Hannibal’s. “Oh, my god...Jesus…”

 

Will moved his head back underneath Hannibal’s and continued to kiss him. Hannibal moaned into his mouth as he lifted his partner’s hips up slightly with the movement of his cock vigorously pushing in and pulling out of Will’s ass.

 

"I love you.” Hannibal whispered into Will’s mouth through the lingering kisses. After a while in this position, Will pushed Hannibal up and down as he sat on his partner’s lap. He shuddered slightly as he slid his ass back down on Hannibal’s cock.

 

“…god, Hannibal. You feel…amazing…” Will whispered in between breaths. Hannibal responded by engaging him in another passionate kiss. Hannibal placed one of his hands on Will’s cheek while keeping the other on the younger man’s ass. They stayed in this embrace for a few more minutes before Will felt like he was ready to come from the movement.

 

“Fuck…Hannibal…I think I’m going to come…” Will breathed.

 

Hannibal held onto Will tighter as he let out a release in Will’s ass. Will responded by coming all over Hannibal’s chest. They kissed each other in a slow lingering embrace before Will nestled his head back into the crook of Hannibal’s neck. Hannibal responded by pulling Will in closer for a tight hug. Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s neck and hugged him back.

 

“I love you…so much, Will.” Hannibal said after a few moments.

 

Will squeezed Hannibal even tighter. “I’m in love you Hannibal.”

 

Will slid downward into the sheets with Hannibal. They kissed each other until Will fell asleep on Hannibal’s chest.

 

_The next morning..._

 

Will woke up face down in his pillow. He groaned out a yawn as he peered over at the alarm clock next to their bed. It was ten o’clock in the morning. Will let his head fall back down onto the pillow. He wasn’t entirely ready to get up. As he let his eyes close back on their own, he noticed that Hannibal was still in the bed next to him. Usually his partner would be up and about around this time, even on the days he had off. It was highly unusual for him to sleep in this “late”.

 

Will pushed himself up, turning around to face Hannibal. The older man was sound asleep with his hair messily swooped down into his face. Will couldn’t help but stare at how sexy Hannibal looked. The blankets covering them were only up to Hannibal’s waist while the top half of his body was exposed. Will gazed as he watched Hannibal’s chest rise and fall with natural breathing.

 

Will slid back down in the sheets and continued to stare at Hannibal for a little bit longer. His mind reeled back to last night. Last night was certainly different from other intimate nights with Hannibal. He had never seen his companion express that level of vulnerability with him before and it made him feel better about the situation with Hannibal’s colleague.

 

He also felt horrible for jumping to conclusions. Hannibal had a bruise on his face from where Will had slapped him. He couldn’t believe that his partner would ever forgive him for hitting him, but Hannibal had done just that. He appreciated the fact that he was with someone who took the negative as well as the positive aspects of his character to heart.

 

Will couldn’t keep his eyes off Hannibal. Will laid his head down and thought about Hannibal fucking him last night. He could still feel his partner entering him; pumping his cock in and out, slow and hard, while Will held onto him to keep himself from writhing around in pleasure. Will could feel his cock getting hard again as he watched Hannibal sleep.

 

Will closed his eyes and started to stroke his hardening cock. It didn’t feel as great as when he was with Hannibal, but similar sensations from last night resurfaced and it took Will all of his strength not to wake up Hannibal by moaning too loudly. Will let his hand glide up and down his shaft as precum leaked out with every movement.

 

Suddenly, Will felt warm breathing next to his face. He stopped what he was doing, completely embarrassed that Hannibal had caught him pleasuring himself in their bed.

 

Will felt a hand on his cock. “May I assist you?”

 

Will was so embarrassed that he could hardly answer.

 

Hannibal moved in closer to kiss his companion on his neck. “Don’t stop. You have no idea how sexy you look.”

 

Will slowly nodded his head as he let Hannibal gently grip his cock. Hannibal started to caress his waist as his hand slid up and down the younger man’s shaft. Will closed his eyes and let his head tilt back slightly as he moaned with every movement. Hannibal moved his hand away from Will’s waist and gripped his own cock. Will opened his eyes slightly to watch Hannibal stroke himself as well as Will, never removing his gaze from the younger man.

 

Will felt his body tense as thoughts from last night swirled through his mind. He let his body completely relax as he came all over his own chest. Hannibal moaned out his own release onto the bed sheets.

 

Will looked over at Hannibal, who cupped Will’s face. “The sheets, Hannibal.” Will said with a playful grin.

 

Hannibal chuckled as he straightened up from the bed. Will watched him walk to the bathroom and come out with a damp towel. He proceeded to dab the offending area with soap and water before rejoining Will on the bed.

 

They laid in the bed for a few moments with the hands intertwined. Will spoke up first.

 

  
“Hannibal…I wanted to apologize again for last night. For jumping to conclusions…slapping you…I took my frustration out on you when I should have talked you about how I was feeling.” Will managed. He felt Hannibal tighten his grasp around his hand. It felt nice.

 

Hannibal turned his head slightly before speaking. “Will, I already forgave you. But know next time that you can talk to me about anything bothering you. Especially matters pertaining to our relationship.”

 

Hannibal wrapped an arm around Will’s waist and squeezed. “I appreciate when you come to me with your problems. I’m here to listen. I would never drive you away.”

 

Will cocked his head a little to look at Hannibal. He stared at the gleam in his partner’s eyes reflecting the sunlight from outside the window. Will cupped Hannibal’s face. “I know Hannibal. I need to work on doing that more often.”

 

Will use his thumb to lightly caress Hannibal’s face. “Can we start over? I feel closer to you now, but I want to get pass our issues from the past and start over…if that makes sense...”

 

Hannibal placed a hand on Will’s cheek and caressed his companion back. “Of, course, my love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> side note: I originally had Hannibal killing Frederick...sort of a trade off between the two. But a comment from a lovely reader actually changed my mind. I like this version a lot more than the one I originally wrote. :)
> 
> \---------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Chapter Eleven: Copy...?
> 
> Set a few months later after the events in chapter ten. Frederick's murder has gone unsolved, Hannibal's ex-curatorial assistant Sebastián Soto hasn't been heard from since the incident in Hannibal's office, and Will has been consulting for the Cuban state police on a string of seemingly unrelated murders.
> 
> However, Will begins to notice something about the murders that remind him of Hannibal's past work. Our lovelies discover that this serial killer has been copying murders committed by Hannibal from about thirty years ago. 
> 
> Will and Hannibal must decide whether or not to hunt down this shameless amateur.
> 
> ALSO, Hannibal surprises Will with a gift :)
> 
> As always, thank you for reading ! :)
> 
> \--lady_slice 
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com


	11. Copy..?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set a few months later after the events in chapter ten. Frederick’s murder has gone unsolved, Hannibal’s ex-curatorial assistant Sebastián Soto hasn’t been heard from since the incident in Hannibal’s office, and Will has been consulting for the Cuban state police on a string of seemingly unrelated murders.
> 
> However, Will begins to notice something about the murders that remind him of Hannibal’s past work. Our lovelies discover that this serial killer has been copying murders committed by Hannibal from about thirty years ago.
> 
> Will and Hannibal must decide whether or not to hunt down this shameless amateur.
> 
> Also, Hannibal surprises Will with a gift :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting almost two weeks for me to finish the last three chapters of this story. I hope you enjoy it :)
> 
> \--lady_slice

_A few months later..._

 

After the night Sebastián Soto had assaulted Hannibal in his office, Will took the time to reconcile his feelings concerning his relationship with his partner. That night with Hannibal had been their most intimate and Will had finally come to terms with Hannibal’s undying commitment toward him. He _now_ understood that Hannibal loved him greatly and was completely devoted to him. 

 

Ever since, after disposing Frederick and his associate to conclude the copycat murders, their lives had been somewhat uneventful (in their terms anyway); allowing Will and Hannibal to explore other areas of their bond more deeply. Hannibal had taught Will how to cook a few of the younger man’s favorite recipes, while they both took their boat out on a few short weekend trips to escape the city. Will was surprised that Hannibal had wanted to do more outdoorsy activities with him, including fishing and spending entire days hiking.

 

Will had also settled into his role as a supportive spouse; willingly attending Hannibal’s social engagements and conversing with donors and future friends on his own accord, while _actually_ enjoying himself from time to time. Hannibal’s colleagues, whenever they sought the opportunity, brought up how funny and witty Will had been in their personal conversations. Hannibal smirked at the mentioning of Will’s personality, reveling in his partner’s attractive sassy disposition.

 

Although everything between the two men seemed to be going smoothly for the first time in their entire relationship, Will was concerned that Hannibal missed hunting. His partner hadn’t said or hinted at such the last few months, but Will knew he missed it. Especially when Hannibal was confronted with particularly rude colleagues or strangers. Will was enamored with how well Hannibal handled himself, like always, in every situation. Yet, he could feel that Hannibal wished he could strangle the next donor who was rude to his colleagues at the museum or the next impatient stranger who was acting like an ignorant asshole at the local market.

 

One particular museum donor and patron, Miguel Ángel Paredes, an expat from Spain, seemed to be the main source of Hannibal’s frustrations. Paredes had known the museum director, Diego, for years and took advantage of the relationship. Often the female employees would complain to Hannibal about inappropriate advances directed toward them from Paredes, and the man would constantly act like a drunken fool at their social gatherings.

 

Still, Hannibal kept equable and took it in stride, without seemingly cracking from not being able to dispose of Paredes after every altercation. Will was amazed with his partner’s resolve concerning the matter, but he knew there would come a point in time at which Hannibal would need to “react” on his vexations.

 

Meanwhile, Frederick’s murder had gone unsolved. On the local news, the Cuban police believed the headless body, arms, and legs found in the harbor a few months ago were part of the “Frankenstein” murders. However, the police still struggled to establish a profile pattern to effectively hunt down the killer.

 

Since killing Frederick, Will and Hannibal had been watching the nightly news together to stay informed on the status of the police investigations. Will usually ended up falling asleep after about an hour, with the upper half of his body on Hannibal’s lap. In response, Hannibal usually woke up his partner with a light nudge and whispered: “Ready for bed, my love?”

 

After “firing” Sebastián, Hannibal had been tasked with finding a replacement. The search proved to be more taxing than expected, but Hannibal had been relieved that the younger man had disappeared in response to his threat. He did, however, stay on guard with the possibility of confronting Sebastián in the future. Yet, he didn’t want to worry Will with his concerns unless the issue became pressing.

 

Will knew he needed to be on guard about a possible altercation with Sebastián as well, and although they weren’t actively hunting together, he believed that he and Hannibal would be able to take care of themselves if the man ever showed his face again.

 

About a few weeks ago, a detective working with the Cuban police, a woman by the name of Detective Isabela Losa, had approached Will at the university to inquire whether he would be available to help consult with the police in their homicide department. Will had accepted after speaking to Hannibal about it.

 

 _Are you sure you’re okay with this?_ Will had asked Hannibal one night during dinner. Will was excited to experience, in the flesh, a physical crime scene again, but he was anxious that Hannibal would feel rebuffed by not reliving in the killings with him.

 

_Of, course. Why wouldn’t I? The police could use your expertise._

 

_Just making sure, Hannibal…considering that we don’t hunt anymore..._

 

_Will, I’ve assured you before that I’m fine with not hunting. I would be straightforward with you if I weren’t._

 

_Okay. I love you, baby._

 

_I love you too._

 

Will found Det. Losa to be very capable; she was driven and quick to the point. He enjoyed working with her, well as much as one could working with a colleague. He did, however, notice that Det. Losa appeared more than “involved” in analyzing their serial killer profiles. Will thought that she might be too obsessed with the work, but then again, you can’t fault someone who is passionate about their work...

 

* * *

 

_Present Day_

 

“How do you like this suit jacket? It’s not too flashy or pretentious looking, is it?” Will was standing in front of the full-length mirror in their bedroom, turning from side to side to look at his outfit. Both men were planning to attend a social gathering hosted by the museum that night.

 

Hannibal finished fastening his watch to his wrist. “Will, you’re wearing a solid black suit jacket with solid black pants. It’s the opposite of pretentiousness.” Hannibal playfully said in response. Hannibal was wearing a grey plaid patterned suit. Probably the most “toned-down” suit he owned.

 

Will turned around from the mirror to face Hannibal. He leaned on his left leg, placing his hands on hips while smiling back at his partner. “It’s a little different from what I usually wear. Just trying something new, but not _too_ different.” Will motioned with his hands at the word “too”.

 

Hannibal walked up to Will and wrapped his arms around his partner’s waist. He smiled down at Will before giving him a quick kiss. “You look great.”

 

Will smiled back at Hannibal before pulling him in for another kiss. After a few moments, Will gently broke away to finish getting dressed. “Am I driving, or are you?”

 

“I called a car earlier. But you shouldn’t be driving this late _anyway_.” Hannibal retorted with a smirk before leaving the bedroom.

 

Will chased after him. Initially, it annoyed him whenever Hannibal criticized his driving, but the criticism had developed into friendly playful banter between the two that Will couldn’t help but grin at whenever Hannibal brought the subject up.

 

“I scrape my car one time and now I don’t know how to drive.” Will riposted as he caught up with Hannibal, who was standing in the kitchen mixing a cocktail. Hannibal turned around briefly and simpered at Will before returning to his drink mixing.

 

“It was _my_ car and it was definitely more than a scrape.” Hannibal clarified.

 

Will walked up to the counter and snatched the drink Hannibal had finished mixing. “It’s not my fault the steering in _your_ car sucks.” Will grinned as he took a sip from the cocktail. It was absolutely delicious.

 

“Wow, whatever this is, it’s delicious.” Will added.

  
Hannibal smiled and continued to mix a drink for himself. “It’s the cocktail recipe I came up with the last time we took the boat out.”

 

“Oh! Yep, this is _that_ drink. It’s so good. Any chance I’ll be able to get another one before we leave, since I’m not driving?” Will asked taking another sip, knowing full well Hannibal would disagree with them consuming multiple drinks before going to a social gathering.

 

“Maybe when we come home tonight.” Hannibal followed Will to the parlor room. They had about a few minutes before their car arrived. Will sat down on a sofa and put his drink on a small table near the arm rest. Hannibal, smiling down at Will, joined his partner on the sofa.  
Will smirked in response as he leaned in to kiss Hannibal. “Okay, you owe me then.” Hannibal wrapped one hand around Will and pulled him in for another lingering kiss. They kissed each other for a moment before letting go.

 

Will sat back on the sofa. He watched Hannibal take a sip out of his drink.

 

“Have you heard from Det. Losa lately?” Hannibal asked leaning back on the sofa to meet Will. Will shook his head. A first, he was a little anxious to consult with Det. Losa. He was sure he would hear back from her soon; recently it seemed as if there was a murder every week that the police needed help establishing a pattern for.

 

Initially, Will’s anxiousness stemmed from not having consulted on a murder case in a while. However, Will hit his stride after the first couple consultations and relished in describing the murders to Hannibal afterword.

 

“Not in a few days. I think she might have taken a few personal days after the last one…she’s usually determined, but something about the body-”

 

“The one found assembled like a puzzle?” Hannibal interjected. Will remembered how intrigued Hannibal had been with that particular murder.

 

The police had found a body in an alley in the historic district last week. Once the crime scene analysts attempted to move the body after studying the details and bagging evidence, the body fell apart into several pieces. It was later discovered that the body was a mash up two different bodies. Hannibal had been concerned that there was a connection between their own copycat murders, but Will assured him that the tableau was seemingly different.

 

“Yes, she appeared to be very disturbed...visibly upset.” Will finished his drink. The way Det. Losa had reacted to the scene was more on the level of someone who was upset with the _way_ the killer committed the murder, not necessarily the _sight_ of the murder. Det. Losa’s reaction to the scene had bothered him at first, but later that night, he reassured himself that he was overthinking her reactions.

 

“Well, it did sound _troubling_.” Hannibal raked over the word “troubling”. Hannibal couldn’t help but betray his curiosity. But before Will could respond, Hannibal’s phone rang. It was their car.

 

“We should get going.” Hannibal said as he picked up their glasses and headed toward the kitchen. Will got up from the sofa and met him out in the foyer. He smiled as Hannibal helped him put on his coat before heading out the door.

 

_A few hours later..._

 

The national museum of fine arts was hosting a dinner reception for one of the Cuban-born contemporary artists who had been living in residence at the establishment for the past year. Most of the people Hannibal worked with on a daily basis were in attendance and Will managed to split his personal conversation time evenly amongst the employees and the patrons.

 

Will had been speaking with Mariana Reyes, one of the archivist at the museum, while Hannibal had left to speak with the museum director.

 

“We’ve taken our boat over to Cayo Coco a few times. It gets a little crowded during the summer months, but the water is gorgeous and great for deep fishing, which I’ve managed to get Romain interested in.”

 

“Hmm, I’ll have to talk to John about making a trip over there for our next vacation. We would prefer not to leave the country this year, so that would be a great spot.”

 

Will acknowledged Mariana’s statement with a slight smile before noticing that Hannibal’s museum director had rejoined the reception from speaking with Hannibal, but his partner wasn’t with him.

 

* * *

 

After a few minutes, Hannibal had finished speaking with Diego about an important art donation before excusing himself to use the restroom. When he had finished, he started to walk back toward the reception when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It appeared that someone from down the hallway was staring at him. Hannibal turned to face the figure before it dashed down another hallway.

 

Hannibal followed the figure, chasing the apparition down the adjacent hallway. When Hannibal thought he had caught up with it, the figure had disappeared. He feverishly looked around the space, back down the way he came and back toward the way he thought the figure had run off to.

 

“Hannibal?” Hannibal heard Will’s voice softly whisper behind him. The younger man placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

 

“Hannibal? Are you alright?”

 

Hannibal turned around to face Will. Will observed that Hannibal was agitated about something.

 

Hannibal took his time before speaking, smoothing out his tie to steady himself. “Not entirely, I-I…thought I saw Sebastián…”

 

Will put his hand on Hannibal’s shoulder, looking at him with faint concern. “Hannibal… Sebastián would never show his face. It would be stupid to do so...”

 

Hannibal knew Will was right, but something about _whatever_ he saw dash down the hallway didn’t sit well with him.

 

However, he nodded in response. Hannibal regained control by returning to his usual stoic demeanor, yet inside he felt a little uneasy. It didn’t make sense to obsessively worry about Sebastián, however, he settled on being on guard concerning the matter.

 

Hannibal finally smiled back at Will before taking a hold of his partner’s hand. “Of, course. You’re right. I believe I may be suffering from stress.”

 

Will squeezed his partner’s hand back as he grinned. “Well, let’s just have fun tonight and relax. You deserve it.” Will led Hannibal back toward the reception. He felt Hannibal squeeze his hand tightly.

 

* * *

 

_The following Monday…_

 

Det. Losa had called Will earlier in the day about a body found in the Parque Zoologico Nacional (the national Zoo) in one of the mammal habitats. 

 

Will took his time walking up to the crime scene.

 

Although Will had become comfortable with his murder consultations, in this moment, he felt anxious. Something about this particular call didn’t sit well with him.

 

Will had noticed the way Det. Losa’s voice cracked as she told him the location of the crime. He felt a shiver in his spine after the call had ended; his mind circled, grappling with what he would find at the zoo.

 

Truthfully, he did miss the rush of hunting with Hannibal, but the nightmares he had experienced after killing Frederick were extremely intense. Every dream, before they stopped hunting, involved Hannibal dying. Will didn’t want to risk the chance of getting either himself and/or Hannibal killed. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Hannibal.

 

Yet, the anticipation of returning to a physical tableau helped to quell some of the nostalgia of hunting. Will, however, wished he could experience the rush with Hannibal and not the Cuban police.

 

Det. Losa greeted Will right away when he finally approached the entrance to the mammal habitats.

 

“Ah! Hugh, nice to see you again. Did you find the park okay?” Det. Losa asked as she clapped Will on the back.

 

“I’ve actually been here once before, so the drive over wasn’t bad at all.” Will answered, wincing a little from Det. Losa slapping his shoulder.

 

 _Jesus, she’s strong._ Will thought to himself.

 

Det. Losa smiled before motioning for Will to follow her toward the scene. He followed her as they walked further into one of the mammal habitats. The park employees had transferred the animals to another habitat while the police worked.

 

Will’s breath hitched upon approach. A naked body, male, was draped on tree trunk with a thin cloth wrapped around one leg. The head hung heavy off the trunk while the legs were situated as if the body were meant to be lounging. The right arm of the body rested on a broken branch emerging out of the side of the trunk. The left hand hung low to the ground holding a what appeared to be a mummified starfish. The body was also covered in stab wounds.

 

Will stared. He couldn’t help himself. The artistic overtones of the scene reminded him greatly of Hannibal. However, there was something off about the work. Will couldn’t quite figure out what was off, but he knew his partner didn’t do this. The body placement was too lazy and everything seemed overt and rushed.

 

Will didn’t realize he was lost in his thoughts until he heard Det. Losa speaking to him.

 

“Hugh? Hugh? Are you there?” Det. Losa playfully asked as she rested her hand again on Will’s shoulder, snapping him back to reality.

 

Will straightened himself up. “Y-yes, sorry. Still getting use to seeing the real thing in person.” He lied.

 

Det. Losa smiled before changing her tone to emote seriousness. She handed Will a coarse crinkled piece of paper with an image on it. He took the paper and studied it for a minute before she spoke.

 

 

“The Star Fisherman.” Det. Losa walked up to the tableau and squatted down next to the body. “I have reason to believe that our killer is attempting to copy _that_ painting.” She reached behind herself to indicate the image Will was holding.

 

Will walked up closer to the body and observed the similarities. “They are very similar.”

 

Det. Losa studied the tableau a bit longer before speaking again. Will noticed the way Det. Losa examined the body. Again, something about her intrigue seemed _obsessive_. Will wondered whether she should have taken _more_ time off after the body puzzle...

 

“More than similar. It’s as if the killer was attempting to not only replicate the painting, but sought some sort of conversation with the original painter.”

 

She used a pen to point toward the stab wounds. “These stab patterns are obviously not in the painting. I think the killer overdid it with the stab wounds in order to make a point…”

 

Will straightened up from the squat. He looked at the image of the original painting back to the body. She was right about the stab wounds. They were unnecessary and erratic. Maybe that was what was off about the tableau. Otherwise, Will would have been sure that Hannibal had done this.

 

Det. Losa joined him standing. “What do you think?”

 

Will tilted his head. For the first time in a while since consulting with the police, Will felt apprehensive about empathizing with the murderer. He felt his body freeze and the pounding in his chest radiated up to his head. He knew the killer wasn’t Hannibal. It _couldn’t_ be. But something about the style of the murder bothered him and he was nervous about getting into this killer’s head.

 

Will steadied himself as he thought about Hannibal. Briefly thinking of his partner and how he _would_ have committed the murder helped Will to see clearly.

 

_This killer was not Hannibal._

 

Will breathed deeply before imagining himself as the killer.

 

_I seek approval. My inspiration is beyond the original “Star Fisherman”; it is fueled by the work of another. Someone who I have admired for years, but I couldn’t decide on how to express admiration fully until now. This is my expression. This is my design..._

 

Will breathed deeply again before acknowledging Det. Losa. “I agree that this killer is attempting to make a statement with replicating the painting. However, I think he’s in conversation with someone else other than the original painter.”

 

Will squatted back down near the body. “The stabbings suggest ‘this is how the body should have looked’. As if he were writing fanfiction and sought the narrative to go another direction…”

 

Det. Losa scrunched up her face at the thought. “He’s a _fan_ of another killer?”

 

Will nodded his head as he slowly responded. “Most likely.” 

 

Will stood up to meet Det. Losa. Her eyes were transfixed on the sight. Will watched her. Det. Losa appeared to be struggling with her own inward dialogue. Her behavior was _very_ strange.

 

Without notice, she looked back at Will and smiled. Will took note of the extreme behavior shift. “Thank you, Hugh. This tells us a lot about the killer’s personality. He aims to please. We’re most likely looking for someone who thinks of himself as a _failure_.” She emphasized the word “failure”.

  
Det. Losa turned around to exit the habitat. Will followed her. “With this murder, he’s looking to please _whomever_ he’s copying.”

  
She stopped short of the crime scene tape. “I’ll do more research on this later tonight.”

 

* * *

 

_A few days later...in the morning, around 3am…_

 

Will struggles, but his body is pinned to a tree trunk. His future killer walks up to him smiling viciously as he struggles. The face of the killer is smeared, but Will recognizes him. He chokes as he says the name of the killer.

 

Will’s arms and legs are secured into position. He can’t lift his head to observe his surroundings. His body is completely naked, save for a piece of cloth hanging from his torso, draping itself around one of his legs.

 

The figure crouches down near Will’s face. Will can feel his warm breathing and see into his eyes. Nevertheless, the face is smudged, like a blotch on a painting. His killer says something to him, but he doesn’t understand.

 

Before Will can react, the figure plunges a knife into his chest.

 

Will shot up in the bed, holding his side. His breathing labored and he had completely sweated through his shirt and boxers.

 

Will felt a hand gently caress his forearm. “Will, are you alright?” Hannibal was slightly sitting up in the bed. His hair was swooped down into his eyes and he looked too concerned for someone who had just woken up from a deep sleep.

 

Will rubbed his forehead with his hand. He couldn’t remember the details of the dream. All he could see in his mind was a blurred face.

 

“I-I think I just had a bad dream, but I’m okay...” Will flung the covers off the bed and headed over to the dresser drawer to search for a fresh shirt and pair of boxers. Will felt two arms wrap around his waist after he pulled on a new pair of boxers. He leaned into Hannibal.

 

“Are you sure? You can tell me whatever is bothering you…” Hannibal whispered. Will closed his eyes as Hannibal lightly caressed his arms, gently kissing the crook of his neck.

 

Will sighed. He didn’t want Hannibal to worry about him. He hadn’t had a nightmare ever since they decided to halt their hunts and this instance was probably a one-off moment.

 

“Hannibal, I’m fine. Just stress from dealing with mid-terms...” Will turned around to kiss his partner. Hannibal responded by cupping Will’s face as he pressed his lips up against the younger man’s. Will quietly moaned as he wrapped an arm around Hannibal’s waist.

 

Hannibal pulled away before they completely lost themselves in the embrace. He inched forward to whisper into Will’s ear again. “We should get back to bed. We both have busy days tomorrow.”

 

Will nodded as he let Hannibal lead him back toward their bed. Hannibal got in first before holding the covers up for Will to slide in after.

 

Before laying down, Will put his hand on Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal looked up at him and gently cupped his cheek, caressing Will with his thumb.

 

“I promise I’m fine, Hannibal.” Will said softly. Hannibal nodded before leaning forward to kiss Will. Will pulled Hannibal closer to his body, feeling the older man’s backside. He cupped Hannibal’s cheek as he moaned into a lingering kiss.

 

Will pulled away as he rubbed Hannibal’s forearm.

 

“Okay. You know if you can come to me, so I won’t press you any further.” Hannibal responded, running a hand through Will’s hair. Will nodded before laying back down on the bed, turning to face the window.

 

He felt Hannibal form his body around his own, spooning the younger man into a tender embrace. Will moaned again as he felt his partner pull his body in toward his.

 

“I love you.” Hannibal whispered.

  
“I love you too, Hannibal.” Will murmured back as he let his eyes fall heavy with sleep.

 

_Later that morning…_

 

Hannibal walked down the row of offices leading to his own. He made it passed a few, before he reached Sebastián’s old office. Hannibal had been reviewing curatorial candidates on and off for a few months, but neither Diego nor the museum board of directors could decide on a suitable replacement.

 

No one had questioned Hannibal’s decision to let Sebastián go. Most of the employees seemed to be grateful for the decision. A few of Hannibal’s colleagues had alluded to being troubled by the younger man’s somewhat “off-putting” personality. Of course, Hannibal _knew_ why his colleagues had felt this way. Sebastián was a threat that had needed to be dealt with quickly and possibly terminated in the future.

 

Hannibal walked up to Clara’s office. She was talking on the phone while simultaneously typing on the computer. She held up a finger to indicate that she needed to speak with Hannibal before he entered his office.

 

“There are a few messages for you, Romain.” Clara hung up the phone and handed Hannibal a few office notes with numbers scrawled on them. Hannibal sighed. Most of the messages were from board members complaining about the curatorial assistant search.

 

“It’s not even ten…” Hannibal took the messages and thumbed through them quickly.

 

Clara huffed in response. She was also overwhelmed with the flurry of calls. “Isn’t it the board’s doing for why this is taking so long? What could we possibly do to make them calm down?”

 

Hannibal smirked. He had developed a friendly relationship with Clara; one where the younger woman felt comfortable enough to vent to him from time to time. “Nothing. Let them duke it out.”

 

Clara chuckled as she took Hannibal’s coat. He smiled back at her before entering his office.

 

Hannibal set his work bag down on top of the desk. He slowly rounded the corner before taking a seat. This entire issue with finding a replacement was exhausting, and now, to add to his worries, it seemed as if Will was agitated about something that was causing him to have nightmares again.

 

Hannibal knew Will wasn’t fine earlier this morning. Something was troubling his partner, but he knew Will didn’t want to bother him with whatever it was. However, Hannibal would give Will time to come to him. Lately, Will had gotten better about expressing his frustrations, so Hannibal knew whatever was concerning him, his partner would reveal before it became too much of an issue.

 

Hannibal took out his laptop and started editing an article he was working on for publication, analyzing the work of modern Cuban artist. After a few minutes, he let his eyes wander over toward the framed photograph he kept of Will on his desk. It was quite possibly Hannibal’s favorite photo of Will. The younger man was beaming; his hair tousled by the wind as he was caught in the middle of demonstrating the proper way to cast off for deep sea fishing.

 

Will had truly changed Hannibal. Before meeting the younger man, Hannibal had never thought anyone would have the power to influence his decisions. Hannibal had never seen anyone on the same level as himself; making it simple to do away with life’s minor annoyances as such, but Will was different. He cracked through his person suit and had altered Hannibal’s perspective on life.

 

That’s why it was easier than Hannibal had expected to discontinue hunting. He did so for Will. He couldn’t stand to see his partner suffer. Will had realized and accepted who he was, and there was no denying that Hannibal had accepted Will changing him.

 

However, from time to time, Hannibal did miss the thrill of watching Will work. From Dolarhyde to Frederick, Will had demonstrated the capability of his darkness. He had embraced his becoming; the anxiety Hannibal had experienced from Will before the Fall had dissipated. However, it was understandable that Will was still getting use to his life with Hannibal up until their last kill.

 

The way they had been to each other the last few months, however, strengthened their bond and Hannibal knew that if the opportunity over arose again, Will would be more than a complicit partner. He was Hannibal’s equal.

 

Hannibal smiled at the thought of Will. He loved him dearly and would do anything for his partner. He decided that maybe he could assuage whatever Will was grappling with by surprising him with something that the younger man would truly appreciate. In the meantime, Hannibal would wait for Will to come to him with his concerns.

 

Hannibal finished editing the article before leaving his office to speak with Clara.

 

“Clara, I’m going to go home early in the afternoon.” Hannibal said as he walked up to her desk.

 

“Oh? Do you want me to cancel and/or reschedule your meetings in the afternoon?” Clara asked, confused that Hannibal would abruptly reschedule the day.

 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it. Also, feel free to leave after me.” Hannibal smiled as he walked back into his office.

 

He grinned to himself, thinking about Will and his partner’s love for dogs.

 

* * *

 

Will drove out to meet Det. Losa at Parque Escaleras de Jaruco. The drive outside of the city was about forty minutes. During the drive, Will’s mind wandered, thinking about the previous murder from a few days ago and his nightmare from this morning.

 

During the day, Will had pieced together parts of his dream. He realized that he was most likely upset from analyzing some bastardized version of Hannibal’s method of killing. In his dream, his mind had supplanted his body in the same position as the victim they found in the zoo, waiting to be killed by someone he and Hannibal had confronted before, but he couldn’t remember who had materialized in his dream.

 

Will had kept the murder to himself, however. He knew Hannibal would ask, but he felt uncomfortable parading a tableau that looked like a sloppy version of his partner’s work.

 

Also, he was consumed with the thought that there were two killers that worked the way Hannibal had with his murder tableaus. Yet, he didn’t believe that neither of the murderers knew about Hannibal. He knew his partner kept a relative profile. It was just strange to see a connection between the two killers here in Cuba and Hannibal. The thoughts were confusing and Will couldn’t figure out the answer.

 

Det. Losa had called him about another murder that seemed to be connected to the one at the zoo. Will decided in the car that he was too obsessed with trying to find a connection between the two killers and Hannibal. Will thought that by missing experiencing the rush of killing someone with Hannibal, his mind had begun to look for references to his partner’s past work.

 

Will pulled up outside of the main entrance of the park. He saw a few police vans and Det. Losa speaking to one of the crime scene analysts. Will got out of the car and met up with Det. Losa as she finished her conversation. She pulled down her aviator glasses, as if to get a better look at him.

 

“Hugh! Good to see you again.” She motioned for Will to follow her. Will nodded and followed her pass the crime scene tape. They approached a heavily wooded grass landing near a cliff. At first, the murder scene was obscured by trees and other vegetation, but once Will and Det. Losa maneuvered their way through the shrubbery, Will’s eyes widened.

 

They were greeted by another installment in their killer’s artist homage. Next to a tree, that had been recently trimmed and draped with the same cloth they had seen on the body in the zoo, there was another bare tree. The sight was something Will had encountered before...

 

This tree had a larger cloth completely covering it. On the cloth was a face. At first, the face seemed to be “imprinted” on the cloth, similar to Shroud of Turin, but the face looked real, not manufactured. Will stepped closer and observed that the face had been skinned from a once living person. Will was transfixed; the face looked to have been adhered to the cloth as if it were a fabric pattern. The facial expression was solemn and calm. Will’s mind wandered back to thoughts of Hannibal...

 

“Ascension.” Will heard Det. Losa say behind him.

 

Will regained himself. “Another one inspired by your painter?”

 

“Antonio Gattorno. Our killer is a huge fan…or both of our killers, per your analysis.” Det. Losa handed Will another wrinkled piece of paper with another one of Gattorno’s works etched onto it.

 

 

Will’s mind circled. Who was this idol their killer was emulating? Whoever their killer admired, that first killer also admired the modern artist Det. Losa named. They needed to figure out the connection between the art influence and their killer’s admiration. 

 

Will’s mind wouldn’t let him think about any other possibility beside Hannibal. But Hannibal wasn’t the killer’s obsession. There was no possible way this was Hannibal. Hannibal would have told Will if he had killed anyone in the last few months, especially this elaborately. To find their killer, they would need to search through the police database to figure out who the inspiration was.

 

“Have you found any murders from the past that look like the last two?” Will asked Det. Losa.

 

Det. Losa looked uneasy, as if she were trying to keep a piece of crucial information away from him. Will took note of it.

 

“Yes, nothing. Nothing in the police database.” Det. Losa answered. Will could tell she wasn’t telling him the entire truth. Will stared back her, but she never broke her resolve, although he could tell she was lying about something. He figured he should do some digging of his own.

 

“Then our first killer must had been under the radar, probably before the database was conceived.” Will baited Det. Losa out loud, trying to get her to tell him exactly what she knew about the murders. She didn’t bite.

 

Det. Losa shrugged. “Maybe so.” She turned to face Will as she took off her sunglasses. Will noticed something in her eyes that he had seen before. She seemed tormented by something; as if she were trying to find the solution to some life-long problem. Will perceived that Det. Losa was haunted by the murders.

 

“Have you had other detectives look over your evidence?” Will asked her, almost suggesting that she take a brief break from the case.

 

Det. Losa scrunched up her face. Will could tell she didn’t appreciate the assertion. “I’ve consulted with others, but I’m fully _capable_ of handling this case on my own, thank you.” She swiftly turned away and marched toward the parking lot. 

 

Will followed her. He realized he had overstepped his boundaries. “Det. Losa, I apologize. I didn’t mean to suggest you _weren’t_ capable.”

 

Det. Losa turned around to face him. She was poised, but Will could tell she had been offended. She sighed before putting her sunglasses back on.

 

“Hugh, I apologize for snapping. This case is affecting me more than I realized.” She put her hands on her hips. “I’m going to take the night off. Tomorrow I’ll revisit your two-killer theory.” She smiled before turning away to talk to another crime scene analyst.

 

Will forced himself to smile back at her before she walked away. He couldn’t keep himself from thinking that Det. Losa knew something about their killer she wasn’t telling him.

 

He thought back to their killer’s version of “Ascension”. He couldn’t get Hannibal out of his head.

 

* * *

 

_Later that afternoon…_

 

Will walked over to the dining room table with an assortment of cheeses and meats. He had invited Hanna over that afternoon after returning from the park. The two had been gabbing about work and life.

 

Hanna reached for a piece of sharp cheddar cheese as Will set the plate down on the table.

 

“So, how is the crime scene consultation going? We’re all are _very_ jealous.” Hanna smirked as she took a bite of the cheese.

 

Will sat down next to her at the table. He smiled as he leaned back in his chair. “It’s not _as_ exciting as you think it might be.”

 

Hanna grinned. “What does Romain think of you consulting for the police? Being in contact with death on a daily basis can do a number on your psyche.” Hanna, of course, couldn’t turn her psychoanalysis brain off, even when she was with Will.

 

Will smiled slightly. Hanna obviously had no idea what he had experienced since he met Hannibal. “He was surprisingly okay with it. I think he has more confidence in my mind than I do.”

 

Hanna chuckled a little. “Nice to have someone who believes in ourselves more than we do.” Will nodded his head little at the thought.

 

“Are you seeing anyone new now?” Will asked her. He knew that Hanna had been dating recently. She talked a bit about some of her dates and he knew she appreciated the interest in her life, even though she never let on.

 

“I _did_ meet someone. She works at the café everyone goes to at the University.” Hanna admitted.

 

“Well? Have you gone out on a date yet?” Will pressed her.

  
“Not yet. Just mostly talking about coffee and work at the university. She’s a graduate student in the history department.” Hanna blushed. Will chuckled, but he was kind about it.

 

“Maybe you could get the rest of us free coffee for life. So, don’t mess this up.” Will smirked. Hanna smiled at the joke as she loosened up about the inquiry into her life.

 

Will’s phone buzzed with a message from Hannibal. He looked through the message.

 

“Oh, I guess Romain is coming home earlier than usual.” Will said to Hanna still looking at his phone.

 

Hanna stretched her limbs before getting up from the table. “Oh, really? I would love to stay to say hi. I found the photo I took of that artist from Holguín I was telling him about.”

 

Will got up from the table. “You could stay for dinner if you want.” He smiled back at her.

 

Hanna gently waved him off and looked at her wristwatch. “I can’t unfortunately. My father is visiting and I have to take him out tonight.” She playfully sighed.

 

Will put his hands in his pockets. “Well next time then.”

 

Will followed Hanna through the foyer and closed the door behind her. He returned to the dining room table and finished the plate of cheeses and meats.

 

_About thirty minutes later…_

 

Will heard the front door open. Hannibal appeared in the dining room smiling coyly. Will got up from the table to greet him.

 

“Hello, how was your day?” Will kissed Hannibal, who wrapped an arm around his waist in response.

 

“Great. How was yours?” Hannibal lingered his gaze toward Will.

 

“It was fine.” Will answered, noticing that Hannibal wasn’t planning on letting him go any time soon. Hannibal grinned slightly before Will spoke up again. “What?”

 

Hannibal let go of Will and went back out toward the foyer. “Stay right there.” He said back at Will. Will stood in place waiting for whatever Hannibal was up to.

 

“Okay whistle!” Hannibal shouted from the foyer.

 

Will contorted his face, he was extremely confused. “What? Why am I whistling?”

 

Will heard Hannibal chuckle. “Just do it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

 

Will rolled his eyes and whistled. A few minutes later he heard a faint squeak which sounded a lot like a puppy. Will walked swiftly into the foyer toward the sound of the squeaking and saw Hannibal trying to guide a dark chocolate colored puppy toward the dining room. Will began to laugh as he squatted down near the puppy.

 

“We practiced at the shelter, but I’m sure she’s nervous.” Hannibal said after giving up trying to get their new puppy to walk toward Will. Will beckoned the puppy over and she waddled as best as she could in his direction. Will walked up to her and careful gathered her within in his arms. She squeaked back.

 

“She’s cute!” Will exclaimed.

 

Hannibal walked up toward them and gently rubbed the top of the puppy’s head. “The couple running the shelter thought she might be a cross between a spaniel and a poodle. They found her and her siblings a few weeks after they were born.”

 

Will gently hugged the puppy up against his chest. He was completely beside himself that Hannibal went out to adopt them a puppy and a cute one at that.

 

“Would you like to name her? I thought you would like to have the honor.” Hannibal said as he smiled back at his partner. Will thought for a few minutes. He remembered back to one of the few times before the Fall he had briefly felt close to Hannibal.

 

“How about Primavera?” Will suggested. “We could call her Prima for short.” Hannibal smiled at the suggestion before leaning inward to kiss Will. Will accepted the kiss holding a squirming Prima.

 

“I love it.” Hannibal said through the kiss. Will gently put Prima back down on the ground. She attempted to gallop toward the dining room, but fumbled over her legs. Both Hannibal and Will broke out in a laugh at the sight.

  
Will picked Prima up and carried her to the bedroom. Hannibal followed, after grabbing a few things he had bought for her first few days in the apartment. He carried a dog bed into the bedroom.

 

“Where should we put her bed?” Hannibal asked.

 

“Over by the mirror I think is fine.” Will answered, mostly paying attention to Prima licking his face. Hannibal smiled and placed the bed near the mirror. “I put her food bowls in the kitchen.” Will smiled back as he continued to play with Prima on the bed.

 

Hannibal smiled before reaching inside his coat. He pulled out a manila envelope and held it out for Will to take.

 

“What’s this?” Will asked as he let go of Prima and took the envelope. Hannibal sat down on the bed with them and put Prima on his lap. “Open it.”

 

Will cautiously looked at Hannibal before looking back at the envelope. He opened the flap and pulled out a few photographs. They were pictures of his dogs back in Wolf Trap. Most of the shots were of the dogs playing out in the woods, or near his old house.

 

Will’s eyes began to water as he thought about Winston and others. He had missed them greatly, but felt silly for mentioning them on a daily basis.

 

“Wh-where did you get these?” Will asked, choking through tears.

 

Hannibal placed a free hand on Will’s back. “I had Chiyoh take a few photos of your dogs to see how they were doing...I’m sorry I couldn’t get them for you.”

 

Will leaned up against Hannibal as he stared at the photos.

 

“Jack has been helping to take care of them, apparently.” Hannibal said after a few minutes. Will was overcome with emotion. He didn’t think Jack would take the time to see to his dogs. He knew that Molly and Walter would take care of them, but knowing that Jack cared too was more than he could handle.

 

“T-thank you, Hannibal.”

 

Prima squeaked from the lack of attention. Will straightened up after wiping his eyes. He and Hannibal snuggled with the dog on the bed, letting her explore as much as possible without letting her over exert herself on the first day.

 

* * *

 

Later, after dinner, Hannibal and Will had decided to retire early for the night instead of watching the nightly news. Will sat on the bed, watching Hannibal undress over by the mirror. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Hannibal surprising him with the new addition to their family.

 

“Come here.” Will said with a flirtatious grin after a few minutes. Hannibal turned around to face Will, pausing in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt. Hannibal smiled as he walked over to the bed to join Will.

 

Will stopped him before he could sit down and unzipped his partner’s pants. Will grinned as he massaged Hannibal first through the fabric of his boxers before pulling out a semi-hard cock. Hannibal moaned as Will stroked him with his hand before replacing it with his mouth.

 

Will felt Hannibal lean into him, as he wrapped a hand around Hannibal’s body to feel his backside. Will let his hand linger before gliding it downward toward the back of Hannibal’s thigh. Will looked up at Hannibal as he licked up and down his shaft. Hannibal responded by running a hand through his partner’s hair.

 

After a few minutes, Will let go of Hannibal with his mouth as he stood up to join him standing. Will kissed Hannibal as he pulled him onto to the bed. He flipped his partner over as he yanked their clothes off, kissing Hannibal after tearing his dress shirt off. Will softly attacked Hannibal’s body with warm kisses as he removed his partner’s pants.

 

Will began to grind his hips into Hannibal’s as their cocks rubbed up against each other in hot anticipation. Will moaned into Hannibal’s mouth as he continued to kiss him. He felt his body wanting release itself through the sexual energy being produced between himself and Hannibal. It was more than he had experienced since becoming intimate with his partner.

 

Will leaned forward to whisper into Hannibal’s ear.

 

“Talk to me as you fuck me...” Will murmured. His heart started to thump in his chest. He breathlessly waited for Hannibal’s response to his insistence.

 

Hannibal stopped kissing Will to look back at him. “Hmm, dirty talk? Wouldn’t expect that from you.” He smiled as he accepted a kiss from Will.

 

“Talk to me about our hunts...” Will requested through a lingering kiss. Hannibal gazed up at Will, taking the hint. He flipped the younger man over onto his back before reaching for the nightstand to retrieve the bottle of lube. He slicked two of his fingers before discovering Will’s hole. Will moaned at entry as Hannibal massaged him with his fingers.

 

Will felt Hannibal’s fingers scissor open and close inside his ass. He moaned as he pushed back against the action. He closed his eyes and felt Hannibal stroke his cock as he fucked him with his fingers.

 

Will groaned in reluctance as the fingers slowly retreated from his body. He wrapped his legs around Hannibal’s waist as the older man aligned his cock with his partner’s body. Hannibal entered Will with a slight moan. Will wrapped an arm around Hannibal’s neck as he ran a hand through his hair.

 

“I couldn’t help myself…watching you gut your colleague...” Hannibal whispered in Will’s ear as he pumped his cock in and out of his partner’s ass.

 

“I had to restrain myself from fucking you before you finished.” Hannibal continued. Will’s vision blurred. He couldn’t control his body from writhing underneath Hannibal’s. He remembered back to their planned hunt to kill Robert Amador. Will couldn’t believe how far they had come together in their relationship. The sensation from the memory of the murder and the feeling of Hannibal inside of him was intensely overwhelming.

 

Hannibal pumped himself in and out of Will for a few minutes, and Will moaned into the crook of Hannibal’s neck as Hannibal tangled a hand in his partner’s hair. Hannibal felt Will push up against him; he felt his body wanting to react in response.

 

Hannibal gently pulled Will up to sit on his lap. He re-positioned their bodies so that his back was up against the headboard of the bed with Will on top. Will smiled slightly in response to the action and Hannibal had to control himself from coming on the spot at the sight.

 

“Oh…oh my god, Hannibal.” Will breathed as he ground his hips into Hannibal’s lap. He buried his face in the crook of Hannibal’s neck again, feeling his body tensing before oncoming orgasm. Will thought about the way Hannibal constructed his past murder tableaus. His mind wandered from the first time he encountered Hannibal’s work to the murder scene from this morning...yet he forgot that he knew Hannibal didn’t commit the “The Star Fisherman”/“Ascension” murders...

 

“I wish, Hannibal, oh god,…I could have…seen you skin your victim…alive. I could...barely control myself seeing….seeing...that face imprinted on...that cloth.” Will managed through heavy panting, holding on tightly to Hannibal’s neck. He couldn’t help himself, thinking of Hannibal inside of him and the murder scene he had visited that day. He lost himself in Hannibal fucking him that all he could think about were the similarities between this new killer and Hannibal. Both works fused in his mind and he couldn’t mentally pull them apart. He blacked out as he was swept up in sexual ecstasy.

 

“Ah...my fucking...god, Hannibal.” Will struggled through his orgasm.

 

Hannibal either didn’t seem to hear him describe the murder from this morning or was on the verge as well because Will felt his partner’s warm cum fill up inside of him. Will came all over Hannibal’s chest.

 

Hannibal pulled Will close to him as he let out the last of his release. Will was breathing heavily still holding onto Hannibal’s neck.

 

“How did you know?” Hannibal asked after a few moments.

 

Will opened his eyes, his breathing was labored. He slowly humped Hannibal’s lap, still reeling from his orgasm. “Know what, baby?”

 

Hannibal gently stroked the back of Will’s neck. “Ascension?”

 

As soon as Hannibal said the name Det. Losa had used to describe the crime scene from earlier in the day, Will’s body tightened and his eyes widened. He realized that he shouted out in an orgasmic frenzy the details of someone else’s murder. Will pushed himself away from clinging onto his partner to look Hannibal in the eyes. He felt so embarrassed.

 

“I-I…uh…” Will struggled to find his words.

 

Hannibal gently cupped his face, stroking Will’s cheek with his thumb. “I was twenty-two when I used Gattorno as inspiration. You’re quite the sleuth, sweetheart.” Hannibal whispered as he tilted forward to kiss Will.

 

I’m sorry. I…uh…” Will found it difficult to explain. He jumped out of the bed and ran into the dining room where he had left his work bag. He rummaged through his bag trying to find his camera. Det. Losa’s killer was copying Hannibal; trying to have a conversation with some past work of his partner’s. Will knew there was something about the murders that was undeniably related to Hannibal somehow.

 

“Will? What in the world are you doing?” Hannibal was standing closely behind him. He looked concerned at the change in his partner’s behavior.

 

“Hannibal. Hannibal, look.” Will straightened up to show his partner the images from the crime scene on his camera. Hannibal looked at Will before taking the camera. He looked through the images, appearing unfazed until his face betrayed hint of concern. “Will, what is this?”

 

“Someone is copying you, Hannibal.” Will sat down on the one of the dining room chairs. Hannibal looked at the camera before looking back at Will. Will noticed that Hannibal didn’t seem upset at all. Yet, he felt horrible for mentioning the murder while they were fucking.

 

Will buried his hands in his face, feeling his cheeks warm up. He was mortified. “Hannibal, I’m so sorry. I should have told you about these before. The two murders I’ve been consulting on reminded me of you and-”

 

Will felt Hannibal gently cup his chin with his face. “Will, relax. You didn’t shout someone else’s name.” He handed the camera back to Will. “It appears someone is else is also an admirer of Antonio Gattorno.”

 

Will took the camera and followed Hannibal back into the bedroom. He heard Primavera let out a sleep sound, snuggled up in her bed near the mirror.

 

“Hannibal, what are we going to do?” Will watched his partner pull on pajama bottoms.

 

Hannibal turned around. “There’s not much we can do.”

 

Will was shocked. He fully expected Hannibal to react to some amateur copying his work. “Hannibal, someone is butchering the work you’ve done. You can’t let this slide.”

 

Hannibal sat on the edge of the bed. “Will, I promised you that we would cease hunting. I won’t risk your health over the matter.” Will’s nightmares had almost stopped entirely since the incident in Hannibal’s office. However, before the nightmares had ceased, Will had suffered from a flu due to the weakening of his immune system from the lack of sleep. Will was sick for a week and Hannibal had taken time off to take care of him.

 

Will didn’t care about the nightmares. He cared about Hannibal. He sat down on the bed next to his partner. “Hannibal, I’m fine now. We can’t let whoever this is get away with this.”

 

“Will, you had a nightmare this morning. I’m assuming it had something to do with these murders.” Hannibal responded. Will looked agitated. He could tell that Will was more upset with the copycat than he was.

 

Hannibal placed a hand on Will’s thigh and lightly caressed it. “Will, neither of us is in immediate danger.”

 

Primavera perked up when she noticed that her humans were up and about. She padded over toward them and tried to reach for the bed, but she was too little. Hannibal noticed and picked her up to place on his lap. He ran a hand through her dark brown fur.

 

“I would only act if need be. Reacting to someone who is copying my work, albeit sloppily, is not great enough a reason to hunt someone down.”

 

Will stayed quiet, grappling with his partner’s resolve over the issue. He knew Hannibal cared more for their safety, but he never expected that Hannibal would completely give up hunting, especially with someone copying his work. He knew Hannibal would tell him otherwise if the older man felt compelled to hunt, but this wasn’t like Hannibal.

 

“Hannibal…?” His partner’s name was all Will could manage in response. Hannibal cupped Will’s face and smiled.

 

“Will, I’m fine. I promise.” Hannibal softly kissed Will. “If it becomes a bigger issue, we’ll deal with it, okay?”

 

All Will could do was stare back at Hannibal as he leaned into the hand on his face. He couldn’t settle on how he felt about Hannibal’s opinion on the copycat. Did Hannibal truly want to give up hunting? The one thing that had brought them together was no longer a current factor; they had developed a deeper bond, yet the hunt was special.

 

Will decided he would only gentle push Hannibal to revisit his becoming if need be. He was concerned for his partner’s sanity. He saw the way Hannibal looked whenever an opportunity for a hunt presented itself.

  
Will knew he would have to gently guide Hannibal back into his darkness.

 

He nodded back at his partner. “Okay, Hannibal. I love you so much.”

 

Hannibal smiled. “I’m in love with you, Will.”

 

* * *

 

_The next weekend…_

 

The following weekend, Will and Hannibal attended a social gathering at the museum to honor one of the museum’s long supporting patrons. Will had been on guard about Hannibal’s feelings ever since the night he found out that Hannibal had been the connection between the painting inspirations and the copycat murders. He wasn’t upset that Hannibal had committed the murders, that was long before they had met.

 

No, Will was upset that something was copying his partner and seemed to be obsessed with his work. He also knew Det. Losa was holding back a piece of crucial information about the killer. He didn’t want to bother Hannibal anymore with the details, however. Hannibal wasn’t acting like himself and Will knew that his partner wouldn’t contribute anything beyond his already stated opinions on the matter.

 

Will knew Hannibal wanted to react. He saw it in his partner’s face whenever Will relayed the details of a crime scene he was working on or when he showed Hannibal photos of the bastardized version of “Ascension”. Soon he would help Hannibal find himself again.

 

Will had been talking to Clara. Hannibal was off talking to a few of the donors and Diego.

 

Hannibal had been talking with the two of them before Diego came over to pull him away to hobnob with Miguel Ángel Paredes and others. Will watched Hannibal mentally and physically prevent himself from rolling his eyes at the mentioning of Paredes. Hannibal had excused himself and walked over to the throng of donors.

 

Hannibal sipped on his cocktail as he listened to Paredes drone on about his villa back in Spain. He thought about how happy he was to have found someone like Will who wasn’t obsessed with materiality.

  
“My wife has been overwhelmed with the interior decoration for this _new_ place. She says the house is too big!” Paredes bantered. Everyone in the circle, except for Hannibal, laughed loudly. Hannibal only responded with a faint grin. 

 

After a few minutes of monotonous conversation about the state of contemporary art, Hannibal was left alone with Paredes. He wanted to walk away, but the museum relied on Paredes and his donations unfortunately, so he forced himself to listen to Paredes blather on about more nonsense.

 

Paredes clapped Hannibal on the back almost knocking his drink out of his hand. “So how goes it, Romain? I realize I haven’t had a personal conversation with you in some time.”

 

Hannibal faked a smile. “As great as it could be, Miguel.”

 

Paredes laughed a billowing laugh that caught the attention of people around them. “Good to know, Romain! Sometimes you _seem_ stressed.”

 

Hannibal didn’t want to bite, but of course he continued the conversation for the sake of his reputation. “Oh?”

 

Paredes smirked. “With the curatorial assistant search thing or whatever.” He waved off the end of his statement.

 

Hannibal prevented himself from rolling his eyes again. The only reason why the whole affair was stressful was due to Paredes and the other board members. “Well, I only need to revisit calm resolution.” Hannibal responded. He was getting super annoyed with Paredes. Just the proximity to the man was irritating him.

 

Paredes inched closer to Hannibal, further penetrating his personal space. “You know, the best way I usually relieve my stress is paying a visit to a lovely young lady who lives in the historic district. She’s quite the _experience_.” Paredes almost whispered, hinting at some mistress he kept on the side.

 

Hannibal simply looked back at him, not saying in anything response. Paredes pressed on. “If you would like a referral of sorts, Romain, I’m sure she could find _someone_ for you as well. But I’m sure you have no problem in that area.”

 

Hannibal smiled at him before taking another sip out of cocktail. He felt his core swelling with anger, but stayed poised. “Miguel, I’m married.” Hannibal responded.

 

Paredes laughed again as he clapped Hannibal on the shoulder again. This time Hannibal’s cocktail spilled a bit on the floor. Hannibal straightened himself up as Paredes finished laughing.

 

“Oh, Romain. You’re _too_ good looking not to have a _few_ other paramours. I wish I had your good looks.” Paredes waved his hand again. “Ah well, throwing money at them seems to be the best bait.” He concluded.

 

Hannibal looked back at him, staring intensely, but not indicating he was upset at the goading. “Nope, I’m afraid I don’t.”

 

Paredes looked back at him and grinned. “Well, there’s resolve I’ve never seen before in another man. No wonder Diego wanted you. You’re loyal!” Paredes clapped Hannibal again on the back. It was definitely the hardest of the three slaps.

 

Two of the other museum donors walked up to Hannibal and Paredes. Paredes got ready to excuse himself. “Sorry I can’t stay to chat. I must rejoin my wife before she gets antsy.”

 

Paredes turned to face Hannibal before he left. He rested a hand on the area of Hannibal’s shoulder he had just slapped a few times and leaned inward to whisper. “You know how naggy “wives” can be, right Romain? But, I’m sure “yours” knows his place...”

 

Hannibal clinched his fists at Paredes’ assertion of his relationship with Will. He about had enough of Paredes unimpeded disrespect. Hannibal excused himself from the two other donors who had walked up to them to go find Will.

 

He found Will still talking to Clara. They were both laughing and Will was showing Clara pictures on his phone. Clara noticed Hannibal join them first.

 

“Aw, Romain ! Hugh was telling me about Primavera and her first couple of days. She sounds adorable. The photo of her in that dresser drawer was absolutely sweet.” Clara said through a smile.

 

Hannibal forced a smile back. All he could think about was the exchange with Paredes.

 

“Yes, she’s very cute.” He took a gentle hold of Will’s arm. Will noticed as he put his phone away.

 

“Romain, are you alright?” Will asked, making a mental note of Hannibal’s frustrated expression.

  
“Actually, I’m not feeling well. Would you mind if we went home early?”

 

Will looked back at Hannibal surprised that his partner wanted to leave the reception so early. Hannibal usually had to stay late enough to talk to all of the important people.

  
“Oh okay, that’s fine.” Will responded slowly. He looked at Clara before looking back at Hannibal. He could tell something was bothering him.

 

They both said goodbye to Clara being leaving the museum.

 

_Later that evening…_

 

Will followed Hannibal into the bedroom. Even though Hannibal said he was fine, Will could tell his partner was annoyed with something. He wasn’t sure if it had something to do with the Gattorno murders or if an issue had upset his partner at the reception.

 

The tables had truly turned in their relationship. In that moment, Will felt compelled to guide Hannibal back to embracing his darkness. He owed it to his partner after all that he had done to help Will accept himself.

 

Hannibal was no longer himself. When Will had realized that he was attracted to Hannibal before the Fall, it was the way Hannibal was comfortable with himself that was most appealing. Will had wanted to personally experience that feeling. He felt most like himself with Hannibal. He felt like he didn’t need to hide for the first time in his entire life.

 

He felt secure enough to help Hannibal accept himself again. Hannibal had rebuilt that confidence.

 

Will stood by the bedroom door; he steadied himself before acting.

 

Hannibal was facing the bed, in the process of taking his sweater off, when Will ambushed him from behind. He pulled Hannibal down onto the bed before perching himself on top of him.

 

Will put his hand on Hannibal’s cock and rubbed the shaft gently through his partner’s slacks. Will positioned his head next to Hannibal’s to whisper in his ear. “Hannibal, I love you so much.”

 

Will unzipped Hannibal’s pants, pushed down his boxer briefs, and wrapped a hand around his partner’s exposed cock. Although Hannibal looked surprised from Will jumping him from behind, he moaned as Will stroked his cock.

 

Hannibal put his hands on Will’s shoulders and tried to speak in between the whirl of kisses. “Will…I love you too, but-” Will bit Hannibal’s bottom lip as he began to rub his partner’s cock more vigorously.

 

As Will laid a gentle hand on his chest, Hannibal sighed before speaking. “I’m sorry, I can’t seem to focus at the moment...”

 

Will moved his hand to cup Hannibal’s face. He gently forced his partner’s to look at him in the eyes. “Tell me what’s bothering you.” Will asked as he kissed Hannibal on the lips. He knew it had to be something related to either the copycat murders or whatever had caused them to leave the museum so early.

 

Hannibal sighed again. He knew he couldn’t keep his thoughts about killing Paredes to himself. He placed a hand on top of Will’s.

 

“I had a very uncomfortable conversation with the donor I’ve told you about.” Hannibal let out after a few minutes of silence.

 

Will knew what Hannibal wanted to say next. He knew Hannibal missed hunting and whatever Paredes said to Hannibal, Will could tell it bothered him to no end. He wanted Hannibal to feel like himself. He knew Hannibal was happy with their relationship, but he also knew that Hannibal missed the thrill of killing with him. He wanted his partner to feel _completely_ happy; with every aspect of their relationship.

 

And quite frankly, Will really _fucking_ missed hunting. Especially after discovering that someone had been poorly replicating his partner’s past murders. The intense and sexual feeling he had experienced after killing someone with Hannibal had been one that he didn’t realize he _would_ miss the most.

 

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Will asked firmly, but he was gentle with his words.

 

Hannibal looked surprised. He appeared at a loss for words by Will’s provocation. “Excuse me?”

 

Will slowly unbuttoned Hannibal’s dress shirt. He re-positioned his head again to whisper into his partner’s ear. “I said, what are you going to do about it?”

 

Will straightened up and looked down at Hannibal. Hannibal observed in Will’s eyes a gleam hinting at his partner’s cultivated darkness. Will reached down to slowly kiss Hannibal, biting his lower lip again. Will sat back up as he bit his own bottom lip.

 

Hannibal finally understood in the moment what Will was hinting at. He realized that his partner was telling him that he needed to find himself and terminate Paredes.

 

Hannibal stared at Will for a few more minutes, completely lost in his partner’s gaze. He proceeded to describe the way he would kill Paredes. “I want to cut his throat like a-”

 

Before Hannibal could finish his sentence, Will gently grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted the upper half of his body away from the headboard of the bed, inching his face closer to Hannibal’s.

 

“No baby, don’t tell me.” Will pulled Hannibal closer to his face, hovering his lips over his partner’s. “ _Show_ me.” Will whispered.

 

Hannibal couldn’t help himself. He grabbed Will by the waist and turned him around swiftly. Will groaned as Hannibal tightly hugged him up against his body. Will began to fake struggle, acting out the way he imagined Paredes to act before Hannibal killed him.

 

Hannibal held onto Will with one hand wrapped around his partner’s waist and the other holding onto his throat. Hannibal didn’t squeeze Will’s neck; he only held on firmly to mimic the way he would before killing Paredes. Will threw his head back as Hannibal took the time to soak up Will’s scent. He waited before speaking again, feeling Will struggle up against his body.

 

“After subduing you…” Hannibal positioned his hand across Will’s neck. Will moaned in response to the action. He felt himself getting hard. “I will slit your throat and watch you struggle before you die.”

 

Hannibal slowly moved his hand across Will’s neck, mimicking slicing open Paredes’ neck. Will held onto to Hannibal and moaned as his partner moved his hand across his neck.

 

Hannibal couldn’t control himself. The sexual energy emanating from his partner was overwhelming.

 

Hannibal gently pushed Will down onto the bed on all fours. He yanked his partner’s slacks off before pulling out his own hardening cock. After spitting saliva on his shaft, Hannibal took a firm hold of Will before positioning the younger man on top of him. Will sat down on Hannibal’s cock, facing away from him, writhing in pleasure. Hannibal held on to Will as he pushed himself in and out of his partner’s ass. Hannibal wrapped his hand around Will’s cock and stroked his partner in time with fucking Will from below.

 

Will held onto Hannibal neck with one hand while using the other to hold onto Hannibal’s backside.

 

“Fuck me…Hannibal…fuck…” Will moaned as his partner pumped harder and faster in and out of him. Will couldn’t control himself; the pleasure of Hannibal simultaneously fucking him and jerking him off was too great, especially coupled with them acting out a future murder together. Hannibal held onto him tighter and he could feel his body tensing. Will fell forward as Hannibal got on top of him, continuing to fuck Will.

 

Hannibal held on to his partner as he came. He groaned as he released himself inside of Will. Will responded by coming all over their bed sheets. They both exhaled their orgasmic releases, collapsing on top of the bed.

  
Hannibal laid on top of Will for a minute before rolling onto the other side.

  
Will, panting from the intensity of Hannibal fucking him, slowly turned himself around to lay a hand on Hannibal’s chest. He watched it rise and fall with Hannibal’s heavy breathing.

  
“We have to kill Miguel Paredes.” Will whispered.

 

Hannibal turned slightly to look at Will. He ran a hand through his partner’s hair and smiled. “I agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how pixelated "Ascension" looks. I didn't realize until after I posted this and I was like "eh, I'm too tired to fix it." :p (i'll probably replace it after I finish the last chapter of this story if it's too horrible for folks)
> 
> Both of the images are from the Farber Collection on Antonio Gattorno works. http://www.thefarbercollection.com/artists/antonio_gattorno
> 
> \-------------------------------
> 
> Chapter Twelve: Hunted.
> 
> Will and Hannibal prepare to kill Paredes. They also have a few fluffy murder husbands moments.
> 
> Also, (and kudos to those who may have figured this out already) Will and Hannibal confront someone from their past since living in Havana...
> 
> As always, thank you reading ! Let me know what you think of the story so far (either here or on my blog is great :) )
> 
> Happy (belated) Valentine's Day, 
> 
> \--lady_slice
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com  
> @lady__slice


	12. Hunted.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal prepare to kill Paredes. They also have a few fluffy murder husband moments. 
> 
> Also, (and kudos to those who may have figured this out already) Will and Hannibal confront someone from their past since living in Havana…
> 
> Half murder husband antics, have fluff. Will tries to help Hannibal set up for a dinner party, but he’s super frustrated because Hannibal won’t make up his mind about where he wants to put one of their Miró paintings on the first floor of their apartment…you know, typical couple banter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a doozy....
> 
> Also, thank you for those reading my work. All of you are my constant motivation.
> 
> \--lady_slice

_The following Monday..._

 

Will spread out the photographs from the “Star Fisherman” and “Ascension” crime scenes on the dining room table. He studied the images while Hannibal was in the kitchen opening a bottle of wine. Hannibal poured out two glasses for them both before joining Will at the table. Will accepted the glass with a grin before returning to a solemn expression.

 

“All I can see, from these photographs and what I had experienced at the crime scene, is that this killer is erratic. He seems rushed...frenzied.”

 

Hannibal set his wine glass down on the table to lightly trace his fingers over part of the photo spread.

  
Will watched his partner. Lately, it appeared that Hannibal was almost himself again. They only needed to kill Paredes and Hannibal’s copycat to feel “normal”, their version of normal; almost as if they were revisiting Hannibal’s idea of a “therapy kill”. Only this time it was for Hannibal.

 

Will rested a hand on Hannibal’s shoulder. “What do you think?”

 

Hannibal held up one of the photographs of the “Star Fisherman” tableau. He studied the image before speaking.

  
“It has to be someone who has lived here in Havana for quite some time and knows that _we’re_ here as well.” He placed the photograph back down on the table. “I do agree that it _appears_ to be someone who doesn’t quite know what they are doing yet. Either someone younger or not disciplined.”

 

Will looked down at the photograph with Hannibal. “I can look through the police database tomorrow to see what I can find on your work. Maybe we’ll see other connections comparing the scenes side by side.”

 

Hannibal slid the photograph back toward Will. He watched Will shuffle the photos around on the table before placing them back into his work bag.

 

“Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?” Hannibal offered after a few moments of silence.

 

Will looked back at him with a shocked grin. “Wait, seriously? It’s not like you to want to go _out_ for dinner.”

 

Hannibal shrugged slightly. “Well, I thought we could try something new.”

 

Will chuckled. “Okay then don’t over analyze the quality of the food, please.” Will wrapped an arm around Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal grinned downward at his partner.

 

“I have restraint.” Hannibal retorted.

 

Will smirked. “Most of the time, baby. Most of the time.” Will kissed Hannibal before letting go.

 

“So where would you like to go?” Will asked, finishing his wine.

 

“There’s a place we can walk to that Clara had suggested a while back.” Hannibal offered.

  
“Okay, let’s _try_ this place.” Will said as he walked toward the foyer with Hannibal following him closely behind.

 

_About an hour later..._

 

Will and Hannibal were sitting outside in the patio area of the restaurant, basking in the warm night air. Will couldn’t help but shoot flirtatious glances toward his partner as they ordered a bottle of wine and waited on their appetizer. Their waiter came back to the table with a plate of ropa vieja.

  
They both thanked the waiter as Hannibal took a bite out of the dish. “Hm. The steak is cooked perfectly.” Hannibal critiqued.

 

Will chuckled as he finished his own bite of the dish. “God, Hannibal. You sound _almost_ surprised.”

 

“I give respect where respect is due. You make it seem like I’m some sort of a snob.” Hannibal playfully rolled his eyes at Will’s assertion.

  
“Hannibal, you _are_ a snob.” Will retorted. “But that’s part of your charm, I suppose.”

 

They sat in comfortable silence, coquettishly eyeing each other from across the table for a few minutes.

 

“It’s funny – the two of us living together in Havana, having a romantic dinner…most likely going to fuck later…” Will grinned before taking a sip out of his wine glass. “— it’s funny because the world is a strange place where someone like yourself ends up with someone like me.” He concluded.

 

“Opposites _do_ attract.” Hannibal playfully added.

 

Will smiled back at Hannibal before speaking again. “If someone had asked me after the first time we met, I would have _never_ guessed that we would end up together…but I’m glad we did, of course.”

 

“The course of love has never been smooth.” Hannibal responded coyly while twirling his wine glass in between his index finger and thumb.

 

Will noticed that Hannibal’s recitation missed a key word: true. Will knew Hannibal wanted him to correct him. Will smiled flirtatiously at the enticement. “True love, baby.”

 

“True love.” Hannibal reciprocated.

 

Will smirked back. The chemistry between the two was electrifying. He couldn’t wait to hunt with Hannibal again.

  
“What are your plans for luring Miguel back to our apartment?” Will asked, taking a sip out of his wine glass. Will watched Hannibal think to himself for a moment before answering.

  
“I’m going to bring up the idea of dinner with the two of us later this week when I meet with him tomorrow.”

  
Will nodded back as he leaned forward. He lowered his voice, grinning with delight. “What’s your plan for the body later?”

  
Hannibal looked back at Will and smiled. “I think we should have a dinner party. The first floor is almost finished. We’ll be able to organize something in a week or so.”

  
Will continued to grin. He knew Hannibal was implying that they use Paredes as the _main_ ingredient for their dinner party.

 

“That sounds like a perfect plan.” Will responded.

  
They both gazed at each other, smiling about the plan for Paredes while also reveling in their peaceful romantic dinner. The waiter returned to the table with their entrees.

  
Hannibal placed a napkin on his lap before forking a bite out of the achiote marinated chicken. He chewed silently before speaking.

  
“This tastes exquisite, but I think Miguel would make a finer dish.” Hannibal quipped.

  
Will chuckled in agreement.

 

_Later that evening...._

 

Will leaned up against the dresser, eyes closed, as he felt Hannibal lean into his body. He felt a hand run through his hair as Hannibal left soft kisses down along his neck. Will moaned slightly from the action. He rubbed Hannibal’s back as he accepted a lingering kiss from his partner.

  
Will pulled away to look Hannibal in the eyes. “It took me a while to accept who I was. Why did you even bother?”

  
Hannibal looked back at Will. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I _bother_?”

  
Will stroked the back of Hannibal neck before leaning in to kiss him again. “I mean, we _are_ completely different. I’m sure you’ve met others who were more..amenable.”

  
Will had come to a certain point in his relationship with Hannibal where past relationships didn’t matter to him anymore. He knew Hannibal loved him and wanted to be with him. And Will felt the same. Will was only thinking out loud about the evolution of their relationship.

  
“Because you are _different_.” Hannibal answered.

 

“Played hard to catch?” Will said through another kiss.

  
Hannibal grinned. “More or less.”

  
Will grinned as he moaned a kiss into Hannibal’s lips. Hannibal accepted the kiss by pushing Will up against the dresser, running a hand underneath his shirt along his backside. Will kept his hand on the back of Hannibal’s neck and another hand on his partner’s ass. He drew Hannibal further into his body as he slowly humped the older man’s leg.

  
Will gently pushed Hannibal up against edge of the bed, which caused them both to fall over on top of each other. Will ground his hips into Hannibal’s, completely losing himself in a lingering kiss. He moaned into Hannibal’s mouth as Hannibal unbuttoned both of their shirts. Will helped him discard both of their pants as he got back on top of Hannibal, continuing to grind his hips into his partner’s.

 

Will pried himself away from Hannibal’s lips as he left warm kisses along his neck, down his chest, stopping an inch above Hannibal’s cock. Will smiled as he released the hardening cock from the fabric of Hannibal’s boxers, stroking his partner firmly, yet gently.

  
Will looked up at Hannibal before replacing his hand with his mouth. He felt Hannibal push up against him as the movement down along the shaft fell in time with the pulsing of Hannibal’s hips. Will held onto Hannibal’s thigh as he groaned into his partner’s lap, eyes closed.

  
Suddenly, Will felt his body turn over as Hannibal pinned him down on the bed. Will moaned in pleasure as Hannibal started to stroke his own hardening cock, freeing it from the younger man’s boxers before replacing his hand with his mouth.

  
Will felt his body respond from the action. He pushed his hips upward and downward as Hannibal held onto him, sucking his cock. He heard Hannibal moan with every lick; Will almost lost his shit from the sensation.

 

Before Will felt his body tense, signaling an oncoming orgasm, Hannibal lifted him up and shoved him up against the headboard. Will kissed Hannibal back in a lingering embrace, wrapping his legs around Hannibal’s body. Hannibal turned both of their bodies around and Will stroked Hannibal’s cock before retrieving the lube out of the night stand.

  
Will stroked Hannibal with the lube before getting on top of him. As he lowered himself, Will shuddered from the sexual sensation. He placed a hand on the back of Hannibal’s neck as Hannibal grasped his ass and tightened a grip around his cock.

  
Will tightened his grasp on Hannibal’s neck with one hand as he pushed the other up against the wall above their headboard. He could feel his body wanting to release itself, but he fought to hold out as long as possible. He wanted this moment with Hannibal to last as long as he could make it.

 

Will slowly bobbed up and down on top of Hannibal as Hannibal thrust himself into Will’s ass, stroking Will’s shaft with rhythm. Will breathlessly whispered, “Hannibal, oh my god, Hannibal,” while Hannibal responded, “I love you so much.”

 

Will couldn’t control his body from reacting to Hannibal being inside of him while stroking his cock. He felt his body tense and he came all over Hannibal’s chest. Hannibal responded as Will felt his partner’s warm cum fill inside of him.

  
Will fell forward, still holding onto Hannibal. He felt Hannibal wrap both arms around his body, giving him a tight hug.

  
“I love you so much.” Will said, taking a breath before doing so.

  
“I’m in love with you, Will.” Hannibal responded.

  
Will let go of Hannibal and rolled over to his side of the bed. He heard Prima making quiet sleep noises. He felt Hannibal’s side of the bed move as his partner headed toward the bathroom.

  
Will laid in the dark, silently smirking to himself, thinking about Hannibal killing Paredes.

 

* * *

 

_The next day…_

 

Will hopped out of a cab and approached the police fortress. He glanced around before entering, hoping not to run into Det. Losa unexpectedly. She had mentioned to him before that she was doing research in the case vault and she usually spent the early afternoon in the fortress.

  
Will glanced at his watch as the security guards rummaged through his work bag. It was about an hour before twelve, so he had about a half an hour to look for any information on Hannibal’s past murders.

  
The security guard handed back Will’s bag with the items spilling out. Will hurriedly gathered his bag and loose items and headed down toward the basement of the fortress. 

 

Will walked swiftly down the aisles, searching for murders committed thirty years ago. The database had only digitized murders from the past ten years, and the files past ten years in the fortress had not be labeled or characterized. These past murders had been moved from the original archive downtown, but the staff hadn’t gotten a chance to update the labeling system.

  
Thankfully, Hannibal had remembered an estimation of the dates when he had committed the murders thirty years ago. Will located case files around this dates. He took the time to look through the folders, although he knew he had little time before Det. Losa appeared.

  
He couldn’t find anything related to a killer emulating Antonio Gattorno’s paintings.

  
_Damn...where is this file?_

  
Will looked through the folders again. There was nothing related to a killer copying any work of art for their murder tableaus or any suspect matching Hannibal’s description. Will thought maybe the file had gotten lost in transit from the original archive to the fortress.

  
_Maybe it’s a good sign that the file is missing...we won’t be on anyone’s radar...._

 

He looked at his watch. He knew Det. Losa would be arriving to the fortress any time soon. He looked through the last of the case files, in case he had missed something, before hurriedly putting the files away.

  
He walked swiftly pass the security guards to the outside. He prevented his breath from hitching as he saw Det. Losa making her way up the steps toward the fortress. She greeted him with a slight smile, pointing toward the building.

  
“Hugh! Research?” Det. Losa asked when she caught up with Will at the entrance.

  
Will forced a smile back. “Det. Losa. Actually, yes. Looking for a cold case for my students to analyze.”

 

Will watched her. She was wearing aviator glasses and grinning. Det. Losa glanced around them as if she were concerned someone was watching them. He thought her bizarre behavior was escalating.

  
“Have you found anything related to the Gattorno murders?” Will asked. He didn’t want to betray that he couldn’t find Hannibal’s previous murders or any connection to them in the fortress.

  
Det. Losa shook her head. “Nope, still digging. I’m thinking either the file was lost or our theory is incorrect….or..”

  
She got closer to Will and pulled her sunglasses down to get a better look at him. “...someone _took_ the file.”

  
Will backed away a bit, but remained poised. It hadn’t occurred to him that someone could have _stolen_ the case file.

  
“You really think someone took the file?” Will asked, vetting to see what she knew.

  
“Maybe our killer did.” Det. Losa offered.

 

Will was taken aback by the statement. If Det. Losa’s theory was correct, then their killer either worked with the Cuban police or had access somehow through proxy. He figured that Robert Amador must had seen the files of Hannibal’s murders before they killed him, so whoever took them, it happened within the last few months.

  
Will looked back at Det. Losa. “Have any idea?” He asked, thrown for a loop about the possibility of the killer working with the police.

  
“No, but if we find those case files, we may have a clue.” She responded.

  
“Well, maybe if we look through the files again from a different perspective, we’ll find a connection.”

 

Will looked at his watch, acting as if he were late for an appointment. In truth, he wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible to do further research on his own before speaking with Hannibal later tonight.

  
“I should get going...late for an appointment.” Will shook her hand before heading toward the nearest street corner.

  
Det. Losa’s cell phone rang after Will walked away from her. She took her time answering her cell, waiting until the last ring to make sure Will was out of earshot.

 

“Yes...of, course....” She ended the call.

 

* * *

 

_Later that afternoon..._

 

The Miramar neighborhood, Havana.

  
Once known for its sprawl of expensive mansions before the Revolution, the neighborhood was still home to the wealthy and politicians, however the collection of extant and maintained mansions have dwindled. Miguel Paredes and his wife lived at Calle 2 in a Beaux-Arts style residence that had been restored recently.

  
Hannibal pulled up outside of the mansion. He got out of the car, grabbing a brunch platter he had prepared for his meeting, and headed up toward the entrance of the mansion.

  
Hannibal rang the doorbell. He looked around the porch area of the entrance, admiring the structural details. He waited a few minutes before Paredes’ butler answered the door.

 

“Aw, Senior Moreau. Senior Paredes is waiting for you in the parlor.”

 

Hannibal grinned and followed the butler toward the parlor.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a little girl run pass a hallway opening and disappear into another room. Hannibal thought that maybe the little girl was Paredes’ daughter.

 

Hannibal found Paredes sitting in a smoking jacket, sucking on a cigar. The man got up quickly and approached Hannibal with an overwhelming handshake.

 

“Romain! Nice to see you. Glad you could make it.” Paredes said as he shook Hannibal’s whole body from the hand shake.

 

Paredes pointed to the platter Hannibal was carrying with him. “Brunch?”

 

Hannibal smiled. “I figured we could have a working brunch.”

 

Paredes laughed loudly as he motioned for Hannibal to follow him into the kitchen. Hannibal heard Paredes shout at someone in the kitchen before he entered.

 

[“¡Sacarla de aquí!”](https://ladyslice.tumblr.com/chapter/worknotes)

 

Hannibal slowed his approach. He waited for Paredes to stop shouting before entering.

 

“Sorry for that, Romain.” Paredes said as he straightened out the lapel of his smoking jacket. Hannibal set the brunch platter down on the counter.

 

“Your daughter is very cute.” Hannibal said referring the girl he had seen in the hallway. Paredes almost gawked at him, betraying a hint of anger.

 

“She’s _not_ mine.” He deliberately corrected.

  
Hannibal didn’t visibly react to the assertion. He only proceeded to arrange the brunch plates he had brought with him on the kitchen counter.

 

Paredes regained his control as he walked up to the counter to observe what Hannibal had brought with him.

  
“Croques meurice and petits pains au chocolat.” Hannibal unwrapped the plastic from the plates. Paredes smiled as he snatched one of the pastries off the dish. Hannibal watched him stuff the pastry into his mouth.

  
He couldn’t wait to kill Paredes tomorrow evening.

  
“What do you think?” Hannibal asked, knowing the answer.

  
“Delicious! Romain, it’s surprising that you’re such a good cook. I would have thought your husband would have been the chef.” Paredes exclaimed.

  
“Hugh has a few dishes he enjoys preparing, but it’s more of a hobby for me.” Hannibal explained, annoyed that he had to explain something so trivial.

 

Paredes grunted as he took a seat at the kitchen isle, beckoning for Hannibal to join him. Hannibal nodded as he took two dishes with him. Hannibal set down a plate in front of Paredes before taking his own seat.

  
Paredes looked at his portion of the croques meurice before placing a napkin on his lap. He took a bite out of one of the mini sandwiches before speaking up again.

  
“So, according to Diego, you’re both concerned about funding for the decorative arts department?” Paredes asked Hannibal. Hannibal ate one of the mini sandwiches before answering.

  
“Yes, we’re looking to purchase a new collection.”

  
“Hm. Then we should wait until we fill that curatorial assistant position.” Paredes added, wagging his index finger.

 

Hannibal remained poised, but his irritation levels were rising. The museum board was still dragging its feet on finding a replacement for Sebastián.

  
“Of course.” Hannibal responded.

  
Hannibal let Paredes stuff more food into his face before he spoke up again.

  
“Miguel, if you’re not busy tomorrow evening, my husband and I would like to invite you over for dinner.”

  
Paredes perked up at the invitation. He slapped the table with enthusiasm.

  
“Of course! I’ve been meaning to get a chance to peruse your neighborhood.” Paredes almost shouted. Hannibal remained unflinching. He smiled before eating another sandwich.

  
“Wonderful.” Hannibal responded.

  
“What’s on the menu?” Paredes asked.

 

Hannibal looked up at him and grinned. “Would I disappoint you if I told you it was a surprise?”

  
Paredes chuckled deeply. “No, all the better!”

  
Hannibal only smiled as Paredes ate another one of the mini sandwiches. “Okay, so let’s get back to this issue about the funding…”

 

* * *

 

_The next morning…_

 

Will had received a call from Det. Losa while he was getting ready for work. A custodian working at the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales had found a body in the middle of the museum's courtyard.

  
Will couldn’t get any more details about the scene from Det. Losa on the phone; her voice was shaking and she was very abrupt.

  
Will drove up to the arcade of the building. The police had sectioned off the main entrance of the Palacio, herding museum patrons away from the property. Will got out of the car and headed in the Palacio toward the courtyard. There he found Det. Losa studying the latest piece in the Gattorno murders.

  
Will walked up to the tableau. From far away, it looked like an art piece, but upon approach, the scene was disturbing.

  
The lower half of a body, severed at the beginning of the torso, was pinned to stand. Where the upper half of the body use to be, there was now a pedestal of some sort holding a stone object attached to a pair of giant black costume wings.

  
Will scrunched up his face in thought. He watched Det. Losa circle the object; she seemed to be thinking intensely about something. She didn’t see him approach until she made another revolution around the tableau.

 

“Hugh! I didn’t see you there.” Det. Losa said, on the verge of shouting. She straightened herself out before walking over to greet Will. Will nodded at her as she joined him to look back at the murder tableau.

  
“Gattorno?” Will asked.

  
Det. Losa took out her phone and showed Will an image of the painting the tableau resembled. This time, the tableau and the painting were more similar; the killer hadn’t added any extra flare.

 

 

 

 

 

“Yes.” Det. Losa said. She walked up to the scene and walked around the pedestal. “What do you think our killer is trying to tell us? He seems more in control this bout...maybe he had more time?”

  
Will waited before speaking. The tableau was meticulous; there were no glaring mistakes. Their killer had copied his inspiration, Hannibal most likely, perfectly. Will took out his camera and snapped a few photos of the sight to show Hannibal later.

  
He walked around the pedestal to get a better look at the work. He snapped a few more photos before he started to notice that Det. Losa looked irritated. She was tapping her foot impatiently, huffing something in Spanish under her breath.

  
Will didn’t know Spanish as well as Hannibal, but he caught a bit of something she said.

  
_Did she just say…”I...believe,” maybe?....no puedo...creerlo….”I can’t believe?” “Him” maybe?_

  
“What was that?” Will asked her, cautious of her response.

 

Det. Losa turned swiftly to look at him. She changed her demeanor and smiled back. “What? Oh, ha. I just remembered that my boss wanted me to finish the paperwork on this as soon as possible. The police would like to hold a press conference...maybe we can lure the killer out of hiding.”

  
Will mulled over the idea. If that were to happen, it may lead the Cuban police right to Hannibal.

  
“I think you should hold off on the press conference.” Will said.

  
“Why?” Det. Losa turned so that her whole body was now facing Will. “Wouldn’t that be the best possible solution to force the killer out of hiding?”

  
“Do you want to catch him or encourage him to kill again? The press conference isn’t going to anger him; it’ll _embolden_ him. He’ll see all of the publicity he’s getting without killing anyone, which will fuel his confidence to kill again. Especially when we know almost absolutely nothing about him.”

 

Det. Losa pulled down her sunglasses to peer over them at Will before pushing them back up. She placed her hands on her hips before speaking.

  
“You’ve figured out something about his personality and obsessive nature. We could say that, which would anger him and catch him off guard...maybe we could set up a potential kill.”

  
Will thought back to when they used Frederick to “catch” the Red Dragon. He had to control himself from chuckling out loud about the incident.

  
“Would you really want to risk a fellow agent’s or civilian’s life just to catch this guy?” Will asked cooly.

  
Det. Losa appeared to be digesting Will’s advice. Will knew that the best way _would_ be to lure the suspect with a potential kill, but the risk of connecting the killer to Hannibal was too great. He was hoping that Det. Losa and the police would wait and give him and Hannibal some time to figure out who the killer was first.

  
“We should wait until we find any information regarding the killer _our_ killer is copying.” Will suggested. He watched Det. Losa mentally think over the advice. He saw her brows rise then fall with with internal dialogue.

  
Will thought back to how strange Det. Losa had reacted to the last two murders. He thought that maybe she was still upset about the body puzzle they had found in the historic district. But she was a seasoned detective; why would she be so bothered by these murders?

 

“I’m still having trouble trying to locate any files. I really think there is a possibility that someone took the files.” Det. Losa finally offered.

  
Will took his time responding, being careful to not spook Det. Losa. “And you have _no_ idea who could have taken the files besides the killer?” He tried to press her; he knew she knew something about the missing files. Det. Losa and himself were the only people actively working on the case.

 

Det. Losa shifted from one foot to the other before answering him. “No.” She responded firmly.

  
Will didn’t believe her. She had frequented the fortress the last few weeks ever since the murders started. She would have suspected someone...or seen someone…

  
He decided not to press the issue any further. Will figured that his paranoia was resurfacing about himself and Hannibal risking their new lives, and thought it was best to speak to Hannibal about his concerns if needed.

 

_Later that night..._

 

Hannibal joined Will on their bed. Will had the photos from the latest Gattorno crime scene spread out on top of the sheets.

  
“How was your meeting with Miguel today?” Will asked looking downward at the photos.

  
Hannibal sighed as he placed a hand on the small of Will’s back, gently rubbing it. “Irritating. Hopefully this dinner party will relieve some stress.”

  
Will placed on a hand on Hannibal’s shoulder, stroking it lightly as he leaned over to give Hannibal a kiss on the cheek.

  
“I can help with the stress in the meantime…” Will whispered. Hannibal smiled as Will kissed him again. Will tugged Hannibal’s face to meet his. Hannibal kissed Will in a lingering embrace, but Will pulled away after a minute or two. They needed to discuss the murder from this morning before fooling around. Will fought his body’s urges to give into his partner.

  
He cleared his throat before speaking. “I’m not sure how to find a connection between you and this killer without finding the case file. Your memory is great, but we need to compare the details visually.”

 

“This newest murder seems more poised, as if he were hitting his stride, finally.” Hannibal critiqued. He picked up one of the photographs to look at closer. “However, he’s still not _quite_ there.”

 

Will perked up. “What do you mean?”

  
Hannibal positioned an image of the Gattorno painting Will had printed out next the image of the crime scene as if he were about to give his partner a traditional lesson in comparing works of art.

  
“See these small, yet important differences? The left foot in the painting is positioned on the ball of the foot, the rest of the body is on axis, and the top protrusion is present. Here-”

  
Hannibal slide the crime scene photo closer to Will so he could see what he was comparing. “-the left leg is positioned on the heel, the body is off axis, and the top protrusion is missing.”

  
Will observed the differences that didn’t come to mind at the scene. He couldn’t believe he had missed those details, but then again he was consumed with the thought that Det. Losa knew something about the killer that he didn’t.

  
“As if he’s trying to say: ‘this is a better interpretation’.” Will added.

 

Hannibal nodded and huffed in exasperation. “Exactly. Clearly, whoever this is, he’s struggling with his interpretation.”

  
Will considered the thought for a moment. Hannibal’s observation explained the personality of the killer, which might get them closer to whomever they’re trying to find.

  
“I think the killer either works in the police department and/or knows someone who is a police officer. That would only explain why those files were missing. I think the killer knows we’re on to them.”

  
Prima walked up to the bed and squeaked. Will noticed and reached down to rub the top of her head. “You already ate dinner, sweetheart.”

 

Hannibal grinned and picked her up. “I think she wants attention.” Will smiled as he reached over to rub Prima’s stomach. It was cute to see how well Hannibal and Prima had taken to each other. Will didn’t know, up until now, if Hannibal even liked dogs.

  
Will looked back at the photographs. He was hesitant to suggest to Hannibal his theories about Det. Losa’s possible involvement with killer.

  
“What about Det. Losa? You’ve only mentioned a fraction of her strange behavior and the fact that she can’t seem to find those missing files.” Hannibal suggested casually.

  
Will almost jerked in his sitting position on the bed. Of course, Hannibal would consider the possibility of Det. Losa having something to do with the killer. Will didn’t need to “clue” Hannibal in on anything. He was a few steps ahead of everyone else.

  
“I have considered that possibility...what should we do?” Will asked.

 

Hannibal waited to offer his opinion. He rubbed Prima’s belly in silence. “Let’s wait and see what she does.”

  
He got up from the bed to put Prima in her own bed. “Let’s invite her over to our dinner party. I’ll get a legitimate chance to speak to her myself.”

  
Will nodded in response. It would be great to get someone else’s perspective on Det. Losa’s behavior. “Sounds great.”

  
Hannibal smiled as he walked back over toward the bed. He sat down next to Will as he placed a hand on his partner’s shoulder.

  
“Speaking of the dinner party. I’m going to need you to help me finish the last decorating details.”

  
Will playfully rolled his eyes. He knew he was going to have to help Hannibal soon with the planning for this party. “What do I need to do?”

 

Hannibal grinned slightly. “Just moving a few paintings and helping me to finalize the menu. It’ll be quick, I promise. Besides you seem to enjoy these kind of things nowadays.”

  
Will smiled. A small part of him _did_ come to enjoy their social functions. He leaned toward Hannibal to kiss him. Hannibal accepted the kiss.

  
“Sure. But knowing you, it probably won’t be quick.” Will said through the kiss.

  
He felt Hannibal smile through the kiss as Will felt his partner gently push him down flat on the bed.

 

* * *

 

_The following evening…_

 

Hannibal set down a plate of imported cheeses on the dining room table. Will walked behind him, wrapping an arm around Hannibal’s waist.

  
“Are you ready?” Will asked, knowing Hannibal’s answer.

  
Hannibal placed a gentle hand on Will’s arm. “Of course. He should be here any minute.”

 

Will kissed the back of Hannibal’s neck as he untangled himself from the embrace. He walked into the kitchen to move Prima’s food and water bowls into the bedroom.

 

Prima was sleeping soundly in her bed. Will smiled as he placed the bowls down near her. He rubbed her little head gently before exiting the bedroom. By this time, the doorbell to their apartment had rang and Hannibal was leading Paredes into the dining room.

  
Will met them with a smile. “Miguel, nice to have you over for dinner! Sorry your wife couldn’t make it.”

 

Paredes shrugged as he plopped himself down in a chair at the table. He crossed his legs before speaking, waving his statement off from the start. “Some lady function, but I don’t think she would contributed  _much_ to the conversation anyway.”

  
Both Will and Hannibal looked at each other in response to the statement.

  
_Wow, this guy is an asshole._ Will thought to himself.

  
Hannibal motioned toward Will. “Hugh, do you mind grabbing the Sangiovese from the kitchen? It should be decanting on the counter.”

  
Will nodded as he walked pass Paredes toward the kitchen. Will looked through the cupboard to retrieve three wine glasses as Hannibal continued the conversation with Paredes.

  
“So I spoke with the other board members on the state of funding for the decorative arts department, Romain.” Paredes started as he positioned to face his body toward Hannibal’s direction, who by now had taken a seat across the table from Paredes.

  
Will walked over to the table with three wine glasses and the decanter of Sangiovese. He placed a wine glass in front of Paredes, filled it before doing the same for Hannibal.

  
“Thank you.” Hannibal said as Will walked pass him, trailing a hand along his shoulders.

  
Will sat down next to Hannibal after filling his own wine glass.

  
“And what was the verdict?” Hannibal asked, picking up his wine glass, waiting to take a sip.

  
Paredes chuckled. Will had to prevent himself from rolling his eyes.

  
“There are still some issues regarding your assistant replacement. Probably won’t come to a final decision until the end of next month.”

 

Will watched Hannibal finally take a sip out of his wine glass. He remained poised.

  
“I’m sure Diego conveyed to you the importance of these funds. They’re badly needed.” Hannibal calmly said in response.

  
Paredes leaned forward. Will could only imagine Hannibal’s frustration with Paredes jerking him around with the question of the funds.

  
“He has, but my hands are tied.” Paredes said, acting sorry, but he really wasn’t. He leaned over to stuff one of the imported cheeses in his mouth. He then finished the rest of his wine. Hannibal got up from the table to refill the glass.

  
“Thank you, Romain!” Paredes accepted, holding his glass up so Hannibal could fill it.

  
Paredes look over at Will. “All of this shop talk must be boring, Hugh. What’s new for you? I’m sure you have your hands tied with finishing the details in your first floor space. Romain was telling me about it.”

 

Will prevented his face from contorting. He was absolutely annoyed with Paredes. He really had no idea or didn’t even seem to care about what Will _really_ did with his days. Will watched Hannibal. Even though Hannibal remained stoic, he could tell he was annoyed. It was only a matter of time.

  
_I guess we won’t be getting to dinner until later._ Will thought to himself.

  
And with that, all in what seemed like a second, Hannibal gently put the decanter back on the table before picking up a statue of stag on a nearby shelf as Paredes waited for Will to respond. Hannibal smashed the statue over Paredes’ head as the man fell off the chair, writhing in pain.

  
“I almost thought you were going to use the decanter.” Will said as he got up from the table.

  
Hannibal smoothed out his shirt. “I wouldn’t waste aged Sangiovese, my love.”

 

Will smirked as he perched himself up against the side of the table next to the seat Paredes was sitting in. They watched the man slowly crawl his way toward the parlor room, groaning in pain.

  
Will handed Hannibal the knife he had used on Robert Amador. “Of course, what was I thinking?”

  
Hannibal smiled as he took the knife and walked over toward Paredes. Paredes was halfway between the dining room and the parlor room. He left a trail of blood behind him leading up to Will’s feet.

  
Hannibal got on top of Paredes, kneeling on one knee as he gripped the collar of Paredes’ shirt. Paredes shrieked as best as he could as Hannibal pulled the upper half of his body up to his face.

  
“I’ve been wanting to say this to your face for the longest time.”

 

Paredes thrashed his arms about, trying to get away from Hannibal, but Hannibal held onto him tightly. Will chuckled in the background.

  
“You really should be less rude to people...being _rude_ could get you killed, Miguel.” Hannibal whispered slowly. Paredes’ eyes widened as Hannibal drew the knife along his throat, opening it as a flood of blood ran away from his body.

  
Hannibal let the upper half of Paredes’ body fall to the floor as it convulsed on its last breath. Hannibal straighten up and felt a hand on his shoulder.

  
“How do you feel?” Hannibal heard Will whisper.

  
“Renewed. I feel like myself again.” Hannibal responded.

  
Will smiled. “I’ll go get bleach if you go get the plastic sheets.”

 

_Later that night, after cleaning up Paredes’ body..._

 

Will and Hannibal had finished cleaning up the pool of blood Paredes had left in their dining room. Will cleaned up the blood with bleach as Hannibal shoved Paredes’ lifeless body into a plastic sheet.

  
_Make sure you scrub near the tile edges, Will._ Hannibal had stopped what he was doing to make sure Will had cleaned up all of the blood to avoid damage to the flooring.

  
_Hannibal, I’ve done this more than a few times before, remember?_

  
_Last time, I thought I found a few droplets._

  
_Key word, "thought". I’m very meticulous. You were being paranoid..._

  
_I’m not paranoid._

  
_Hannibal, you "imagined" blood, probably an excuse to buy new flooring._

  
_I wouldn’t buy all new flooring, love. I would have just replaced the ruined sections. Preservation is key, dear._

 

_Nothing was ruined, and yeah okay, Hannibal._

  
After dragging Paredes’ body down the steps to the first floor of the apartment and placing him in a freezer for later, Will and Hannibal had retired to their bedroom for the night. Prima was sleeping soundly in her bed, seemingly unbothered by the events of the night.

  
“She’s so peaceful.” Will whispered as they entered the bedroom.

  
“She is a sweet little animal.” Hannibal added.

 

Will let Hannibal take a shower first as he rested on the bed. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about the way Hannibal had looked when he killed Paredes; he missed seeing Hannibal work. The movement of his body as he slit Paredes’ throat was overwhelming sexual.

  
About an hour later, after Hannibal, Will walked out of the bathroom. He crawled onto his side of the bed.

  
Hannibal had been reading a book waiting for him to emerge. Will kept crawling on the bed until he reached Hannibal’s side. He laid down, snuggled up against Hannibal, positioning his head on top of his partner’s chest. Hannibal put his book down on the night stand before running his hand through Will’s hair.

 

Will placed a hand on the opposite side of Hannibal’s waist in response. They stayed in this embrace for a few moments of silence before Hannibal spoke up first.

 

“Thank you.” He whispered.

 

Will moved his head up slightly. “For what, baby?”

 

“Accepting me.”

 

Will lifted himself off Hannibal’s chest and inched toward his face. “I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for you accepting me.” Will kissed Hannibal on the lips. Hannibal wrapped his hand around Will’s neck, pulling him in for a tighter embrace.

 

Will gently pulled away. “I love you.”

 

Hannibal kissed him back. “I love you too.”

  
Will laid back down on Hannibal’s chest, giving his partner’s waist a tight hug before turning over on his side of the bed. Hannibal followed suit, after turning out the light, wrapping his limbs around Will before falling asleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_A few days later....about five in the morning..._

 

_Ring. Ring._

  
Will groaned, turning over on his side.

  
_Ring. Ring._

  
He felt Hannibal’s side of the bed move and his partner groan as well.

  
_Ring. Ring._

  
Will realized that Hannibal’s cell phone was on loud and ringing. He turned around to wake up Hannibal. “Hannibal. Hannibal, your phone is ringing.”

 

Hannibal open his eyes and looked at Will before slowly getting out of the bed. He walked over to the dresser where he was charging his phone. Hannibal looked at the phone. The call was from Deigo.

 

“It’s Diego.” Hannibal told Will.

  
Will pulled the covers over his face. “What could he possibly want at five o’clock in the morning?”

  
“It is a little early.” Hannibal responded. He heard Will huff and dramatically turn over in the bed.

  
Hannibal accepted the call.

 

“Diego?” Hannibal answered. He turned around to face toward the bathroom. Will tried to go back to sleep, but he ended up listening to Hannibal’s end of the conversation.

  
“Yes, of course. Right away….okay, I will see you in a few hours.” Hannibal ended the call as he walked back over toward the bed.

  
“What was that about?” Will asked as Hannibal slid back in between the sheets.

  
“Apparently, Miguel Paredes is missing.” Hannibal responded, wrapping his arms around Will, pulling him close to his body.

  
Will settled into the embrace. “Oh, that’s unfortunate.”

 

_Later that morning…_

 

Hannibal was typing on his computer when suddenly there was a soft knock and a door creak to reveal Diego and Clara. They both walked into the office, looking grim. Hannibal stopped typing and shut his laptop closed.

  
“Is this about Miguel?” Hannibal asked. He could see Clara’s eyes watering. He knew she didn't like Paredes, but the thought of knowing someone who was missing, and possibly dead, was more than she could handle.

  
“Yes, Romain.” Diego motioned for Clara to sit on the sofa next the desk before taking a seat himself across from Hannibal.

  
“His wife told me the police believe...that he may have been...murdered.” Diego concluded.

 

Hannibal smoothed out his tie as he took a seat next to Clara on the sofa. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little hug. She started bawling from the simple act of compassion.

  
“Murdered? That’s quite the leap.” Hannibal responded, appearing shocked.

 

Diego sighed. “Apparently he was in debt to quite a few loan sharks with no patience. Honestly, I’m not surprised. Miguel does...did have that type of personality that would make anyone want to kill him.”

  
Clara cried some more and Hannibal drew her in closer for a hug. “They may never find the body.” Hannibal added.

  
“Sad, but true. I wish I could ease everyone’s worries.” Diego offered.

  
Hannibal waited a moment before speaking up. “Maybe we all deserve a quaint dinner party? Hugh and I are almost done with the first floor finishes of our apartment. It would be great to invite people over dinner.”

  
Clara beamed. “Aw, Romain! That’s an excellent idea. I would absolutely _die_ for your cooking.”

  
“No need, Clara. We already have our main dish chosen.”

 

Both Diego and Clara remained quiet in response to Hannibal’s statement before both burst out loud with laughter.

  
“Ah! Romain! You are quite the character.” Diego said as he got up from the desk. Clara got up as well to follow Diego out of the office.

  
“This weekend then.” Hannibal offered with a smile.

 

* * *

 

_Later that weekend…the night before the dinner party..._

 

Hannibal was watching Will struggle to hold up a painting he had acquired to decorate the first floor of their apartment. The painting was very large, which is an understatement. Will was standing on a ladder, holding the painting in place on the wall, waiting for Hannibal to make his mind up about where he wanted it.

 

Hannibal tapped his foot as he rested his arms and hands into a thoughtful position. “Maybe it would be better over there…” He pointed behind him toward the other side of the room.

 

Will took in a deep breath, attempting to calm himself down to prevent from dropping the painting on the floor. He had been standing on the ladder for about thirty minutes with this damn thing.

 

“I think the Miró would look better by the bar…” Hannibal said unfazed by Will’s annoyance. Either he hadn't noticed his partner’s frustration or it didn’t bother him. 

 

Will stepped down off the ladder and set the painting on the floor. He put his hands on his hips. “Hannibal, you already _tried_ over by the bar, remember? You said something about it being too distracting next to the other one over there.” Will huffed.

 

“The Klimt, my love.” Hannibal corrected Will, staring in the direction of the bar, thinking about the placement of the Miró painting.

 

“What?” Will responded. He was so irritated with having to help Hannibal put up these paintings for what seemed like hours.

 

Hannibal turned around to face him, still posed in his thoughtful position. He still didn’t seem to notice or acknowledge Will’s annoyance.

 

“The Klimt. I _thought_ it would be too distracting near the Klimt, but I’m changing my mind again.”

 

Will rolled his eyes. “Hannibal. We’ve been down here for hours. Please make up your mind.”

 

Hannibal looked back at Will before looking back at the spot on the wall he wanted to hang the Miró. “It’s only been an hour.”

 

Will huffed again as he walked over to the bar to pour himself a glass of water. He looked at his watch. “It’s definitely been more like _three_ hours, Hannibal.”

 

Hannibal smiled and shrugged. “An hour, three hours. You really can’t rush these sorts of things.”

  
Will sighed, but then smiled. “Why did I marry you again?”

  
Hannibal grinned. “Because I’m irresistible.”

 

Will nodded in agreement before finishing his glass of water. “Yeah, that seems about right.”

 

Hannibal flashed Will another smile before walking over to the other side of the room. The first floor was divided into four spaces: the main room was the largest, which Hannibal had converted into the main gathering space accompanied with a bar. The three other rooms consisted of two bathrooms and a smaller out-of-the-way room connected to the other spaces by a hallway where Hannibal and Will kept Paredes’ in a freezer.

  
Hannibal disappeared through the hallway down toward the hidden room. He came back after a minute. He was looking around as if he had misplaced an item.

  
“I can’t seem to find my recipe rolodex.” Hannibal said.

  
“Isn’t it upstairs in the kitchen?” Will responded. He watched Hannibal walk over toward the bar. He crouched down next to Will, pulling out items, neatly placing them off to the side.

 

“No, I think I brought it down here….ah, here it is.” Hannibal said as he straightened up with the rolodex.

 

Will watched Hannibal thumb through the recipes. “What are you thinking of serving?”

  
Hannibal pulled out a few recipes. Will picked up one of the pieces of coarse paper:

 

 _Sweet-Tart Duck Breasts with Fresh Cherry Sauce_  
2 5- to 6-ounce duck breasts  
Coarse sea salt  
2 teaspoon olive oil  
1 small shallot, finely diced  
½ cup dry red wine  
¼ cup chicken stock  
7 ounces cherries, pitted, stemmed, and halved  
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar  
10 twists on the black pepper mill  
1 teaspoon honey, orange flavored  
½ tablespoon very cold unsalted butter

  
“This looks delicious.” Will said handing the recipe back to Hannibal.

  
“Glad you approve. I’ve started on everything that needed to be prepped in advance, but I’ll need your help tonight as well as tomorrow morning/afternoon to finish the rest.” Hannibal responded walking away with the rest of the recipes toward the exit.

  
Will chased after him. “Wait, what? I thought I was just the mover.”

  
“Mover and sous chef, remember? You have a diverse array of skills.

 

* * *

 

_The next evening…_

 

Will and Hannibal had spent the whole morning and the early afternoon finishing the prep work for the dinner party. Will had gotten better with his chopping skills, so he was given the task of handling all of the vegetables while Hannibal took the rest.

 

 _Nice work. Your knife skills are improving._ Hannibal had said watching Will whip through the vegetables.

  
_Light years away from when you taught me how to properly chop up a zucchini._ Will was referring back to their pre-murder husband days: the night of the Fall.

  
_I would still try to find an excuse to help you chop up vegetables if it meant I could touch you while doing so._

 

Later, Will was standing in the mirror, eyeing his outfit. He was wearing something similar to night Hannibal thought he had seen Sebastián at the museum.

  
“I wonder how much mileage I could get out of this suit…” Will wondered out loud.

  
Hannibal looked over at him after tying his shoe. He was wearing a green tartan wool sport coat with matching slacks. He sighed with a slight laugh. “Why don’t you try something with more color next time?”

 

Will turned around to face Hannibal. “Maybe.” He smirked before returning to face the mirror. Prima waddled over and rubbed her head on his right pant leg.

  
Will back away a bit as he huffed. Hannibal laughed out loud as Will reached down to pet Prima.

  
“I’ll never be able to keep my clothes looking nice. I love dogs too much.” Will said as he rubbed the top of Prima’s head.

  
“It adds character to your outfit.” Hannibal added.

  
Will stopped himself from picking up Prima. She was staring back up at him with her big brown puppy dog eyes.

 

He crouched down lower. “I’ll play with you later, I promise. I have to act like an adult tonight.” Will whispered.

  
Hannibal got up from the bed. “Ready? I’m sure people will be arriving soon.”

  
Will walked up to Hannibal and gave him quick kiss. “Yep.”

 

_About an hour later…_

 

After about an hour, their first floor was filled with people from the museum along with a few of Will’s colleagues from the university. Will was speaking with Hanna and her date when he saw Det. Losa walk in. He excused himself to introduce her to Hannibal.

  
“Det. Losa! Glad you could make it.” Will greeted her as best as he could. He was still cautious around her.

  
She smiled back at Will. “Hugh, thank you for inviting me.” Will gently placed a hand on her shoulder as he led her to where Hannibal was standing. He was speaking with Diego and John Cleve.

  
“Sorry for intruding, but I wanted to introduce everyone to the detective I’ve been working with that last month or so.”

  
Det. Losa shook everyone’s hand. “Detective Isabela Losa.” Everyone murmured some version of “How do you do?”

 

Will stole a furtive glance toward Hannibal. Hannibal nodded slightly as he moved into position to whisk Det. Losa away from the group. Will positioned himself to cut off Diego and John so that Hannibal could speak to Det. Losa privately.

 

“John, Mariana had mentioned the two of you were looking for new vacation spots…” Will started. He knew Diego would be more than willing to join in on the conversation. The three men started talking about their favorite fishing spots around the coast of Cuba as Hannibal turned to face Det. Losa.

  
“Det. Losa, let me show you around.” Hannibal held out an arm for Det. Losa to take. She blushed a little before accepting it. He led her over toward the bar, comparing the spatial division between the first and second floors.

 

“You and Hugh have a very nice place, Romain.”

  
“Why thank you. Wine?” Hannibal asked reaching for a decanter full of Gamay already setting out on the counter. She nodded “yes” and he poured her and himself a glass of wine.

  
Hannibal waited. He didn’t want to drive her away before he squeezed details out of her about what she knew regarding the Gattorno murders.

  
“Forgive me, but you seem quite young to be a detective. Hugh mentioned you being very good at your job, which explains it.” Hannibal said after taking a sip out of his wine glass.

  
Det. Losa smiled as she took a sip of the wine. “Well, it helps when you have a great partner like Hugh most cases.” She quieted before speaking again. “My father wanted one of us to work for law enforcement.”

 

Hannibal raised a slight eyebrow at the ambiguous mentioning of “one of us”.

  
“Oh, I have a brother. Our father hoped one of us would work in law enforcement after our mother's death-”

  
“Oh, my condolences.” Hannibal interjected.

  
Det. Losa waved him off. “It’s okay. It took me awhile to get over it, but I’m fine now.” Her voice turned into a whisper. “My brother, well that’s whole other story.”

  
Hannibal eyed her. “Did he ever see anyone about your mother’s death?” He asked.

 

“No, I don’t think we realized it was an issue until later.”

  
“It’s never too late to seek help.” Hannibal offered.

  
“True.” She quickly changed the subject. “I’m sure Hugh has mentioned to you a bit about some of the recent murders.”

  
Hannibal didn’t think Det. Losa would readily volunteer that information so quickly.

  
“I know a bit.” Hannibal said.

  
“We’re having trouble trying to establish motive.”

 

“What are your theories?”

  
“Well Hugh thinks there is another killer that this killer is copying.” Det. Losa started. She eyed Hannibal. He noticed something about her expression when she mentioned another killer. Hannibal took note of it.

  
From that point, he knew, without a doubt, that Det. Losa _knew_ something about the missing files without pressing the issue. Her facial expression betrayed her.

  
“Is there anything in the police database to suggest the possibility of the killer’s inspiration?” Hannibal asked, taking another sip out of his wine glass. He watch Det. Losa mentally struggle inwardly with the answer.

  
“There’s nothing...either the theory is incorrect or the files are missing.” Det. Losa finally said.

  
Hannibal looked down at his wine glass before looking back up at her. “Either could be a possibility, although I’m inclined to believe that my husband is more or less correct about these things.”

 

Det. Losa blushed and waved her hands about. “Oh no! I didn’t mean to suggest that Hugh didn’t know what he was talking about.”

  
Hannibal chuckled. “It’s okay Det. Losa. I’m sure even an expert like Hugh might be wrong from time to time.”

  
Det. Losa let out a small laugh as Hanna walked up to the bar. “Hi! Hope I’m not interrupting.”

  
Hannibal shook his head. “No, not at all. Hanna, have you met Det. Losa?”

  
Hanna nodded “yes” as she leaned in to shake Det. Losa’s hand. “Yes, but only the one time she came to the university to speak with Hugh about consulting for the police. Nice to see you again.”

  
Det. Losa nodded back. “Same.” She looked around before excusing herself. “Uh, may I use your bathroom?” She asked Hannibal.

 

Hannibal pointed toward the back of the main room. “It’s the first door at the beginning of the hallway.”

  
Det. Losa nodded “thank you” before swiftly walking toward the bathroom. Hannibal watched her before she disappeared.

 

Hanna leaned in. “She seemed a little nervous.”

  
Hannibal took of his wine. “Very.”

 

_About thirty minutes later…_

 

Hannibal used a knife to lightly tap the side of a crystal glass to get everyone’s attention. The murmuring from the guests died down as Hannibal stood in the middle of the room. Will joined him smiling sheepishly.

 

“Hugh and I wanted to take the time to thank you all for coming to our dinner party. We hope you _enjoy_ the food.”

 

Everyone responded with some version of “cheers”, “here, here”, or “salut”. They all had a bit of the main meat dish on their plates. Will and Hannibal both looked at each other as the guests all took a bite out of their dishes.

 

Hanna spoke up first. “This is absolutely delicious!”

 

“Exquisite.”

 

“Heavenly!”

 

“You must give me the recipe.”

 

  
“Romain, you really outdid yourself this time.”

 

Hannibal shrugged as he wrapped a hand around Will’s waist. “I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off without the help of my love.” Hannibal leaned in to kiss Will and everyone awed at the sight.

 

_Later that night..._

 

Hannibal walked out of their bathroom, rolling his dress shirt sleeve down his arm. Will was crouched down by Prima’s bed, feeding her some treats while also rubbing her head. Hannibal watched Will leave a final pat on Prima’s head before jumping into their bed.

 

Hannibal walked up to the bed as he started unbuttoning his shirt. “I had the most interesting conversation with Det. Losa tonight.”

 

“Oh?” Will responded, closing his eyes as he rested his head on his arms up against the headboard. “I’m a right about her having something to do with those missing case files?”

  
Hannibal pulled off his shirt and sat on the bed to take off his dress pants. “That _and_ I think she knows more.”

  
Will sat up in the bed to lean over by Hannibal. “I knew it. What else did she tell you?”

  
Hannibal slide in between the sheets. “It’s more what she _didn’t_ tell me.”

  
“She knows the killer.” Will offered.

 

Hannibal nodded his head. “It’s probably best to keep her at arm's length until we figure out more about the killer.”

  
Will laid down next to Hannibal, resting a hand on his chest. He scooted his body up against his partner’s.

  
“She must had said _something_ in regards to who might be.” Will wondered.

  
“I think it might be her brother.” Hannibal said.

  
Will sat up in the bed. “What? How did you arrive at  _that_ conclusion?”

 

“She went out of the way to mention something about her brother.”

  
Will laid down on his side of the bed. “Okay so now we’re looking for Det. Losa’s brother?”

  
“It seems that way. We need more details.” Hannibal whispered.

  
Will laid in silence before speaking again. He turned to face Hannibal. He slide an arm back over his partner’s chest.

  
“We’ll figure out something. We know a lot more than a few hours ago, thanks to you.” Will whispered as he softly kissed Hannibal’s neck.

  
Hannibal moaned slightly. “You’re the one you came up with the profile.”

 

Will smiled as he got on top of Hannibal. “Okay so then we’re both due thanks.” He whispered, grinding his hips into Hannibal’s. Hannibal responded by pushing up against Will, rubbing his partner’s backside with both hands.

  
Hannibal flipped Will over onto his back as he ran a hand over the fabric covering Will’s cock. Will moaned as Hannibal released him from his boxers and began stroking him with light movements up and down. Hannibal laid down on the bed as he spread Will’s legs apart, replacing his hand with his mouth.

  
Will moaned and wiggled with the sensation as Hannibal licked him up and down. Will eyes were closed and all he could think about was the anticipation of Hannibal fucking him. He heard the cap of the lube snap open. The sound was followed by the entry of two fingers into his ass as Hannibal continued licking his cock.

  
Will couldn’t help but squirm on the bed from Hannibal sucking on his cock while also fucking him with his fingers. He felt Hannibal slow down his motions with both fingers and mouth, moan, then speed up the movement. Will felt his body tensing. He fought himself from coming early.

 

He felt Hannibal stop licking his shaft which elicited an annoyed moan from Will. He almost protested until Hannibal flipped him over onto his stomach. He felt Hannibal spread his ass cheeks apart. Will felt a tongue lick his hole and he almost lost his shit. He felt Hannibal hold onto to him as Hannibal pushed his tongue inside of him, lapping up Will’s scent.

  
Will felt his body reacting to the action. “Hannibal, I can’t take it…” He struggled through a pre-orgasmic whisper.

  
Hannibal responded by flipping him over again. Will wrapped his legs around Hannibal’s waist.

  
“Fuck, me...please.” Will whispered. He had never wanted Hannibal so badly before. Hannibal grinned as he slicked his own cock before entering Will.

  
Will pushed up against Hannibal, holding tightly onto the back of his partner’s neck as Hannibal pumped himself in and out of his ass. Will moaned faintly. He felt Hannibal’s body tense up against his own as the hold Hannibal had on his body grew firmer with every thrust.

 

“Oh, my god…” Will whispered. He managed to force his body to control itself from coming so early. They stayed in the embrace for a few more minutes.

  
Will couldn’t take it and his body released itself. “Oh my god, Hannibal…fuck.” Will came all over his partner’s chest. Hannibal laid down on Will as he let out his own release. Will breathed heavily a few times before wrapping his arms around Hannibal. Hannibal kiss Will on the lips as he let out the rest of his orgasm.

  
“God, Hannibal. You feel so fucking amazing.” Will whispered through the kiss.

  
Hannibal smiled. “So do you.”

  
They both kissed each other for a few more minutes before letting go. Hannibal laid down next to Will as the younger man turned over to lay a hand on Hannibal’s chest.

  
“I love you.” Hannibal whispered.

 

“I love you too.” Will answered.

 

* * *

 

 

_Later that week…_

 

Will was sitting on a sofa in the parlor room, reading through class papers.

  
_My god this is taking longer than it really needs to…_

  
Will huffed. He looked at his watch then back at the paper he was grading. It was four in the afternoon and Hannibal wouldn’t be home until closer to six.

  
Will hadn’t heard from Det. Losa since the dinner party. The silence was strange. This was the longest he had gone without hearing from her. He wondered if it had something to do with meeting Hannibal in the flesh...

  
Will waited before confronting Det. Losa further about what she knew. He didn’t want to let on about knowing that her brother could possibly be the killer. Hannibal had suggested that he wait to hear from her and analyze another potential murder scene before acting drastically.

  
Will backed off, but he was growing worried that Det. Losa may lose contact. He would give her a more few days before confronting her.

  
Will took a sip out his glass of water and sat back on the sofa.

 

Suddenly, without notice, Will heard footsteps. He thought it was Hannibal.

  
“Hannibal?” Will said, in the process of turning his head around to see who he thought was his partner. But before Will could look behind himself, one strong arm wrapped itself around his neck as a hand pressed a cloth up against his face.

 

Will fought up against the hand, struggling to keep himself awake as he blacked out from the inhalation of chloroform. Will lost consciousness as his body went limp to the floor.

 

_About a few hours later…_

 

Will woke up when a force of water struck his face. He was sitting on a chair, limbs strapped. He struggled to regain his vision, but he could tell he was in what looked like a giant storage container. He closed his eyes and regained his composure.

  
Will slowly opened his eyes again and his breath hitched.

  
Standing right in front of him, grinning, was Sebastián Soto.

  
Sebastián squatted down next to Will and whispered into his ear. “Did you miss me?

  
Will kept himself from reacting to the provocation. “Nice to see you again, Sebastián.”

 

Sebastián pulled up a seat in front of Will. He scooted as closely as possible to Will’s legs and leaned forward. “I told your husband it would be a shame if something happened to you. Too bad he’s not here to save you.” Sebastián grinned.

  
Will inhaled a deep breath. He stayed poised the way he imagined Hannibal would be in this situation. “Sebastián, just cut to the chase. What do you want?”

  
Sebastián chuckled loudly. He look downward before speaking again. “I’m sure you know by now that I’m the author of Gattorno murders.”

  
Will huffed. “Copied.”

  
Sebastián squinted. “Excuse me?”

 

“You _copied_ the Gattorno murders. And not very well I might add.”

  
Sebastián got into Will’s face. Will could tell his last statement really pissed him off. Sebastián’s anger was palpable.

  
Will didn’t expect Sebastián to turn his chair around in response. He looked up and saw remnants of the “Frankenstein” murders from months ago, pinned to a makeshift stand. He could pick out Robert Amador’s leg mashed together with what looked like the arms and leg of Frederick’s associate as well as other unidentifiable body parts. And, of course adorning the top was Frederick’s head.

  
Will squinted a bit to make sure it was Frederick’s head.

 

Sebastián walked around to face Will.

  
“Figured you also had something to do with the Frankenstein murders. You give yourself away too easily.” Will responded.

  
Sebastián seemed to crack a little from Will not begging for his life. He laughed as he backed away.

  
“Yes, I did the so-called “Frankenstein” murders, although I hate that fucking name.” He waited. “...and I copied your husband.”

  
Sebastián got back into Will’s face. “However, if you want to get down to it, the two of you _copied_ me first.”

  
Will chuckled. “Didn’t know it was a game, Sebastián.”

 

Sebastián straightened up as he laughed. “You’re right, it’s not a game. But thank you for helping me finish the last set. Greatly appreciate the contribution from my idol.” He looked behind himself before speaking again.

  
“However, the head the two of you chose is quite ugly.” Sebastián seemed disappointed.

 

Will shrugged. “Well, can’t argue with you on that one.”

 

Sebastián walked around a bit, as if he were gearing up for a long story. Will waited.

  
“I’ve been enamored with Hannibal’s work ever since I was young. The police never fingered him for the murders, although they did have him logged away in that fucking police fortress. My father use to be a detective. I remember rummaging through the files in the original archive --- back then, they let just about _anyone_ look through the files --- and finding these Gattorno murders. Imagine my surprise when I finally get to meet him fifteen years later working at the museum.”

  
Sebastián stopped walking to turn to face Will. “I finally get the chance to speak with my idol. Maybe experience a murder with him?...but, no, didn’t get the chance...”

  
He walked over toward Will. “But if I remove you from the picture, maybe I’ll finally get my chance.”

  
Will grinned then laughed. “How did you steal the files from the fortress, Sebastián?”

 

Sebastián looked a little shocked that Will didn’t react to him possibly killing him to be with Hannibal. He regained himself to answer. “I didn’t. My sister did.”

  
And with that, there was a loud pop and blood spurted from the side of Sebastián’s head. He fell forward onto Will. Will looked to the side as best as he could to see who had shot Sebastián.

  
Standing, facing him, gun still smoking, was Det. Losa.

  
Will was taken aback. “Det. Losa?” He suddenly realized she _was_ the sister Sebastián was referring to, but he never figured she would be the one to kill Sebastián. He thought it would be easy to talk to her calmly about her involvement in her brother's murders.

 

Will tried to bounce out of the chair. “Thank you...you came just in time.”

  
Det. Losa cocked her gun again as she approached Will. He could tell that she had been crying and her hand was shaking. Will looked at her then back at the gun.

 

“I’m going to kill you too, Hugh...or should I say...Will Graham...” She said slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys...I promise this story has a happy ending.....I PROMISE.
> 
> I promise on Mads Mikkelsen's life. And those of you who know me know I would never say something like that half-heartedly. :D
> 
>  
> 
> Chapter Thirteen: Acceptance.
> 
> Picks up at the cliffhanger ending, but before doing so, this chapter revisits the events before the Fall. We see, the hours before Francis pops up, Will struggling with his feelings toward Hannibal.
> 
> Last chapter !!!!! Omg...this story has been quite the experience....
> 
> \--lady_slice
> 
> ladyslice.tumblr.com  
> @lady__slice


	13. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picks up at the cliffhanger ending, but before doing so, this chapter revisits the events before the Fall. We see, the hours before Francis pops up, Will struggling with his feelings toward Hannibal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How to describe Det. Losa....think of her as the Cuban version of Daryl Hanna's character from the Kill Bill movies, Elle "California Mountain Snake" Driver...strong and feminine at the same time !
> 
> I enjoyed writing her character, kind of wish she was in the story more... 
> 
> anyway, happy shipping, fellow shipmates ! love you guys :)
> 
> \--lady_slice

_The Wrath of the Lamb” Revisited and the Present_

 

_Flashback to the night Will and Hannibal killed Dolarhyde…_

 

Will thought back to the conversation he had had with Jack, proposing Hannibal’s “escape” to lure the Great Red Dragon out of hiding.

 

_Wanna hear what the best bait would be?_

 

I’m not sure I want to… Jack’s hesitance toward his plan was still palpable.

 

_Hannibal would be the best bait._

 

Will wasn’t entirely sure what he had wanted when he suggested using Hannibal as “bait” to capture Dolarhyde. He was grappling with his own issues regarding his role in the plan. Did he really want to finally destroy Hannibal or was he using this as an excuse to get close to him again? Or was it a combination of both? Will wasn’t certain...

 

_Let them believe I let Hannibal escape._

 

Will knew he needed to figure out soon what he wanted from “helping” Hannibal escape; he was sitting on the bed in the master bedroom of Hannibal’s hideout waiting for the older man to finish taking a shower. Will bounced his leg nervously as he waited. He looked around the space as if the confrontation with Dolarhyde would happen any minute.

 

 _What was I thinking?_ Will thought to himself, anxiously waiting for Hannibal to exit the bathroom.

 

Hannibal walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist while using another to dry his hair. He smiled at Will before walking over to the closet to dress himself.

  
Will stared, but then quickly averted his eyes when Hannibal took the towel around his waist off and proceeded to get dress in front of Will. Will wasn’t sure if he should stay quiet or make conversation; the entire situation was incredibly awkward and he couldn’t quell his nerves. His heart started to thump in his chest as he slowly looked back over toward Hannibal who was still naked, but his back was turned toward him.

 

Will’s eyes widened at the sight. He had often imagined what Hannibal would look like naked and couldn’t believe he was experiencing it in person. Will rubbed his hands on his pants; his heart continued to pound in his chest and he couldn’t focus. Suddenly, his already nebulous reasons for suggesting Hannibal’s escape plan became even more murky. Will continued to watch Hannibal get dress with baited breath.

 

He thought about the fantasies he had had in the past about being intimate with Hannibal…

 

* * *

 

After a few minutes of silence, Hannibal turned around to face Will as he pulled a blazer on over his sweater. The younger man looked anxious, so Hannibal took his time before speaking.

  
He thought there was the possibility of an ulterior motive to Will suggesting that the FBI use him as bait to capture Francis. Yet, he didn’t want to miss the chance of finally guiding Will into his darkness, so he had accepted the plan.

 

He knew tonight would be the perfect moment: Francis would inevitably appear in his home and the opportunity would provide Will to finally be himself. But for now, while they waited, Hannibal would use the time to get closer to Will; shutting out all other distractions that had prevented them from being close in the past.

 

Hannibal smiled slightly at Will. “Would you care for something to eat?”

 

Hannibal observed Will nervously shift on the bed. The younger man nodded before opening his mouth to respond. “T-that sounds great, actually.”

 

Hannibal gazed at Will a little longer before leaving the bedroom. He felt the younger man follow him closely behind. Hannibal walked into the kitchen before turning around to face Will.

 

“What would you like to eat?” He looked Will up and down, waiting for an answer.

 

Will put his hands in his pockets and smiled faintly back at Hannibal. “Whatever you prefer, or rather, whatever is stored in your hideout, I guess.” He nervously chuckled.

 

Hannibal smiled back before walking over to his pantry/storage area. He opened the small door and disappeared within the space.

 

Before disappearing, Hannibal watched Will wait for him, perched up against the counter. Hannibal returned with what looked like two frozen steaks.

 

He walked over to the kitchen sink and turned on the water. Hannibal placed the steaks in the sink and let the hot water run over the meat.

  
Hannibal turned to face Will. “We have about twenty minutes before those are thawed. Would you care to help me chop vegetables?”

 

Hannibal watched Will shrug a little. “Sure, if you don’t mind me butchering the food.” He gave Hannibal a playful grin which Hannibal accepted with a slight smirk.

 

“Oh, I’m sure you’re a _pro_ with a knife.” Hannibal responded back in the same playful tone, overtly implying something else.

  
Hannibal motioned for Will to wash his hands in the empty sink next to the one with the meat in it. Will acknowledged and brushed passed Hannibal as he walked over to wash his hands.

 

Hannibal controlled himself from touching Will as he walked up to the sink. He walked swiftly away to retrieve the chef knives.

 

Will grabbed a kitchen towel to dry his hands. Hannibal walked over to the outer counter of the kitchen and placed the chef knives on the surface. He walked back into the pantry/storage area to grab whatever vegetables were left. He walked back out, washed a red onion and a zucchini, before placing the items in front of Will.

 

Hannibal put his hand on the small of Will’s back to test whether the younger man was comfortable with him touching him. Will didn’t move away from the touch, so Hannibal kept his hand there as he motioned for Will to take one of the knives to start chopping.

 

“Which one do you want me to chop first?” Will asked after he picked up the sharpest looking knife.

 

Hannibal inched closer to Will, placing his other hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Chop the zucchini and I’ll take the onion.”

 

Will nodded and took the zucchini. “How do you want the slices to look?”

 

Hannibal place a hand on the hand Will used to hold the chef knife. He moved closer to Will’s side so he could whisper into the younger man’s ear. “Here, I’ll show you what to do.”

 

Hannibal wrapped his arm around Will’s other side as Will slightly leaned up against him. Hannibal tilted into Will’s body as he showed him the way he wanted the zucchini sliced.

 

* * *

 

About two hours later, the two men had finished the meal they had prepared together.

  
Will was getting nervous. It was late and Dolarhyde was nowhere in sight.

  
While eating, he hadn’t realized how late it was getting; the dinner conversation with Hannibal had been both engaging and stimulating. He had lost himself in conversation with someone who had greatly affected his life. Someone who he had trouble tearing himself away from.

 

Yet the impending confrontation with the Great Red Dragon dragged Will back to reality. He needed to calm himself before whatever was to happen that night.

 

Will looked over at the piano and acknowledged it with a slight tilt of his wine glass. “Do you mind if I play something?”

 

Hannibal smiled after taking a sip out his wine glass. “I didn’t know you played.”

 

Will got up from the table and situated himself on the bench. “I don’t, but I thought I would _serenade_ you with random songs I happen to know.” Will said back playfully.

  
He forced himself to be as calm as possible. He needed to have a clear head when Dolarhyde appeared.

 

After hesitating a minute or two, Will started playing the first few measures of the score to “The Entertainer”. Hannibal laughed which elicited a smile from Will. The smile was genuine, and it shocked Will a little at how comfortable he felt in the moment.

  
He struggled through the music, trying to remember the notes. After a moment of inconsistent piano playing, Hannibal got up from the table and joined him on the bench.

 

“May I?” Hannibal gestured toward the piano, indicating that he wanted to show Will the correct keys for the song. Will smiled and nodded back yes. Hannibal put his left hand on Will’s left and his right on Will’s right. Will leaned into the embrace as Hannibal taught him how to play the song properly, starting from the beginning.

 

Will couldn’t help himself as he lost himself once again being with Hannibal. They had hurt each other deeply in the past, but this moment felt completely removed from prior issues. It felt as if they were meant to be together...

 

They finished playing the song as Hannibal looked over at Will and smiled. Will smiled back. He felt his body reacting strangely; due partly in being in close proximity to Hannibal and the relaxing events leading up to this moment. Will watched Hannibal inch toward him. Will felt a sexual energy rise between himself and Hannibal.

 

Hannibal inched his head closer to Will’s and brushed his nose with his own. Will didn’t pull away. He put his hand on Hannibal’s thigh and breathed heavily.

 

After a minute of hesitation, Will realized what he was doing. The point of this was to kill Dolarhyde and possibly Hannibal in the same breath. But he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t remember when this feeling had occurred, possibly before Hannibal fled for Florence,.But Will had longed to be with Hannibal no matter the circumstances, yet his mind fought with his emotions.

  
He quickly pulled away, however, when he refocused his mind on the supposed goal for the night.

 

Will gathered himself. “Thank you for the lesson.” Hannibal lingered his gaze with his arms still wrapped around Will.

 

* * *

 

Hannibal noticed that Will was hesitant about their burgeoning closeness. He waited until Will spoke to react; allowing his arms to stay wrapped around the younger man’s body.

 

“Thank you for the lesson.” Will let out in a slight whisper. Hannibal didn’t respond. He knew that Will wasn’t ready to express his feelings, so he figured he would wait until their eventual run in with Francis to explore their relationship further.

 

Hannibal smiled back at Will; attempting to make the situation less awkward than it already was. He immediately reprogrammed his mind to the goal of Will’s escape plan: the confrontation with Francis.

 

“You’re welcome.” Hannibal got up from the piano and walked back over to the kitchen to retrieve another bottle of wine with fresh wine glasses. Will got up from the piano and looked out the window. The younger man put his hands in his pockets and stared out into the darkness.

 

Hannibal walked back over by the piano with the glasses and the wine. “You’re playing games with yourself in the dark of the moon.” Hannibal said to Will as he placed the bottle of wine on the piano.

 

“Wasn’t surprising that I heard from the Great Red Dragon.” Hannibal added as he cleaned out lingering specs of dust from the glasses before pouring the wine.

 

“Was it surprising when you heard from him?” Hannibal finally looked over at Will, who had walked back to stand near the side of the piano.

 

Will turned to face him. “Yes and no.” Hannibal watched Will stare back at him. The embrace at the piano was still lingering in his mind, but Hannibal was focused on their conservation concerning Francis.

 

No one had truly affected Hannibal the way that Will had. It was difficult to admit, especially before he fled for Florence when he had realized Will’s betrayal. However, Hannibal had grown to accept his love for Will. It was strange at first; comprehending that he actually cared about another human being.

 

Will was far more superior than the people he had met in his life. He thought of Will as a potential complicit partner. Well more than complicit, equal in fact. The idea excited Hannibal, but he needed to give Will time. First, he needed to suss out Will’s true intentions for this confrontation with Francis.

 

“Do you intend to watch him kill me?” Hannibal asked. He wasn’t entirely sure what Will wanted, but he knew that if the younger man had gone through the lengths to spend this time with him then there was a possibility of Will realizing his darkness. The way Will had played hard to get in the past was enticing, but new territory for Hannibal. He had done all that he could to bring Will into the fold, and the younger man had pushed back.

 

“I intend to watch him change you.”

 

Hannibal thought for a moment, analyzing what Will _may_ have implied. “My compassion for you is inconvenient, Will.” Hannibal looked back at the younger man to drive home his statement.

  
It was true. Other times it would easy to feel nothing toward another human being and use them for his own whims, but as was mentioned so many times before, Will was _different_.

 

Hannibal thought for a moment, analyzing what Will may have implied. “My compassion for you is inconvenient, Will.” Hannibal looked back at the younger man to drive home his statement.

  
It was true. Other times it would easy to feel nothing toward another human being and use them for his own whims, but as was mentioned so many times before, Will was different.

 

“If you’re partial to beef products, it is inconvenient to be compassionate toward a cow.”

 

Hannibal smirked at Will’s provocation as he opened the bottle of wine. Hannibal sniffed the cork before grabbing the two wine glasses and walking over toward Will. He could sense Will’s tentativeness.

  
To Hannibal, it felt as if Will had _no_ idea how he felt toward him. Maybe the younger man was also attempting to figure out his true feelings as subtly as possible.

  
The games the played with each other...

 

“Save yourself, kill them all?” Hannibal responded.

 

The next sentence from Will surprised Hannibal more than he had expected.

  
“I don’t know if I can save myself…” Will looked up at Hannibal. “Maybe that’s just fine.”

 

Hannibal could sense that Will was wrestling with what to do concerning his relationship with him. The moment at the piano certainly didn’t help.

 

Hannibal knew that Will struggled with either letting Francis kill him or stepping in to save him; working to dispatch the Great Red Dragon together. It was obvious from Will’s facial expression.

 

Hannibal lingered his gaze toward Will before turning away.

 

“No greater love hath man than to lay down his life for a friend.” Hannibal filled his own wine glass.

  
He was attempting to convey to Will that he would do anything for him even given the fact that the younger man was struggling with how he felt. He was sure Will caught the hint based on the younger man’s response.

 

“He’s watching us now...” Will let out.

 

“I know.” Hannibal took a sip of his wine. He had caught Francis’ figure outside of the window when he was pouring them wine.

 

The admission by Will was similar to the phone call the younger man had given him the night he had fled for Florence, yet the timing was late due to Will’s hesitant feelings. Hannibal didn’t care. He had shown Will as best as he could his feelings toward him and he knew he needed to let Will choose which path to travel down.

 

Suddenly, a bullet from a sniper rifle penetrated the window, hitting Hannibal in waist.

 

* * *

 

“He’s watching us now...” Will felt compelled to be completely honest with Hannibal.

  
He had noticed Dolarhyde lurking in the darkness when he got up from the piano bench. He was going to wait and let Dolarhyde approach them, but something inside of him forced him to alert Hannibal.

 

Part of him wished he had been honest with Hannibal from the beginning, when he realized the felt something for him that he had never felt for anyone else.

  
He knew the way Hannibal felt toward him. The intimacy they had experienced the last few hours was more than Will could handle and it forced him to confront his true feelings.

 

“I know.” Will observed that Hannibal seemed wholly unfazed by the advent of the Great Red Dragon. He knew that Hannibal also knew Dolarhyde was also sulking outside.

 

Suddenly, a bullet shattered the glass behind them, hitting Hannibal in the waist as the bottle of wine shattered in his hands.

 

Hannibal fell toward the floor as Dolarhyde walked through the window frame. The man aimed his gun at Will.

 

“Don’t run. I’ll catch you.”

 

Will stood unflinching. He knew Dolarhyde was there to kill Hannibal, but he also knew that he needed to stay on guard for his own life in case.

 

He heard Hannibal breathing heavily on the floor. “Hello, Francis.”

 

“Hello, Dr. Lecter.” Francis lowered his gun and faced Hannibal.

 

Will watched the exchange as he sipped out of his wine glass, externally poised, yet inwardly anxious.

 

“I’m so happy you chose life, Francis.” Hannibal breathed out holding his side. “Suicide is the enemy.” He was referring back to Francis’ supposed murder-suicide attempt with Reba to distract the FBI.

 

“You were seized by a fantasy world with the brilliance and freshness and immediacy of childhood. It took you a step beyond alone.” Hannibal diagnosed, breathing heavily while clenching his side.

 

“I’m going to film your death, Dr. Lecter; as dying, you meld with the strength of the Dragon.” Dolarhyde set up his camera to film Hannibal.

 

Will continued to stare. He still wasn’t sure how he would react. Either be essentially complicit in Hannibal’s death or intervene. He was amazed that his outward appearance didn’t betray his inner turmoil.

  
_Hannibal would be the best bait…_

  
_Let them believe I let Hannibal escape..._

 

“It’s a glorious and rather discomforting idea.” Hannibal looked into the camera before looking back up at Will. Will could see Hannibal attempting to convey to him that he would never _force_ him into his becoming beyond this point. It was now up to him to choose what he wanted to do.

 

“Watching the film will be wonderful.” Dolarhyde breathed out. “But not as wonderful as the act itself…”

 

Will couldn’t take his own inaction any longer. He knew he needed to respond. He had gotten what he had wanted by seeing Hannibal for the last time.

  
Will knew that if he accepted who he was, all three of them wouldn’t come out alive. There was no possible life after killing Dolarhyde, but Will didn’t care. He finally settled on wanting to experience a hunt with Hannibal.

 

Will reached for his service revolver, but before he could grab it, Dolarhyde reached for him and stabbed him in the face.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the Present_

 

Hannibal had been trying to reach Will by phone the entire afternoon. After his texts went unanswered, Hannibal tried calling his partner, but there was no answer.

 

 _Clara, I’m taking off early. Good Night!_ He had practically shouted back at her as he was already halfway down the hallway, throwing his coat on.

 

 _Okay! I’ll reschedule the rest of your meetings for Monday, Romain! Have a nice weekend!_ Clara shouted back, looking extremely confused that Hannibal would leave so early. Also he looked incredibly anxious.

 

Hannibal raced home from the museum, consumed in thought with the worst case scenario. He had mentioned to Will that they needed to be on guard with the possibility of confronting his copycat. Hannibal knew that the killer would most likely attack one of them at the apartment.

  
Silence was killing Hannibal.

  
Hannibal arrived at the apartment and shouted for Will as soon as he unlocked the door. He looked in every room and space, but found no one expect Prima tied up on top of their bed. She was wiggling around, trying to squeak.

 

Hannibal ran over to her, untying her limbs. He rubbed her head gently. She hopped around a bit, confused that she was tied up for so long, but also happy that someone was home finally.

  
Hannibal got up from the bed after making sure Prima was okay. He searched around the apartment with any possible sign of a struggle. He looked by the sofa in the parlor room where Will usually sat while he graded papers. There were a few papers scattered along the floor and the sofa had been moved slightly.

 

Hannibal crouched down and found a note lying next to the scattered papers. He picked up the note and observed an address scrawled on it. He ran into the bedroom to check on Prima again, and searched for Will’s service revolver before swiftly leaving the apartment to find Will.

  
He knew, as he slid into the car, that the note was left to lure himself also into danger. He thought quickly. One of the reasons why he had taught Will advanced first aid care was for this exact moment. Hannibal knew eventually he would need Will to save him from a situation and he knew his partner was fully capable of doing so.

  
Hannibal turned on the car and raced toward the harbor.

 

* * *

 

_Back to the night of the Fall..._

 

Will lost himself. The knife wound in his face pulsated, radiating pain throughout his body, but he didn’t care. All he managed to focus on was killing the Great Red Dragon.

 

After somewhat of a struggle, Dolarhyde had tossed him out the broken window and he rolled onto his back. Will felt Dolarhyde grab him by his collar, holding onto to his back. Will reached for the knife in his check and yanked it out. It hurt like shit, but he still didn’t care.

 

Will reached behind himself and stabbed Dolarhyde in the leg. The man shrieked in pain. Will suddenly felt a quick stab to his chest, then a heavy jerk backwards as Will felt Dolarhyde take a hold of his neck.

 

His body fell forward. He could hear Hannibal and Dolarhyde wrestling with each other in the background.

 

Will shuddered. He was on all fours. He wasn’t sure if his body was shaking from the pain or the feeling he had experienced when he killed Randall Tier.

  
He found himself leaning toward the latter as he watched Dolarhyde walk over toward Hannibal. The sensation of wanting to kill Dolarhyde was frightening as well as compelling.

 

Will decided that he could no longer tetter on the precipice of his becoming. He felt his mind blackout as he let his heart guide his movements.

  
Will pulled Dolarhyde’s knife out of his chest as he struggled to get up to help Hannibal.

  
He ran over to where Dolarhyde and Hannibal were fighting and stabbed their victim twice in the back before Dolarhyde turned around to punch him in the face. Will fell over, but braced himself to stab Dolarhyde in the back of the leg as Hannibal struck him with an axe.

 

Will crawled over closer to the edge of the cliff and looked up over at Hannibal. He watched Hannibal circle Dolarhdye; their eyes met. Will communicated to him that he was all in at this point in time. Scared, but all in.

 

Will charged Dolarhyde as he watched Hannibal jump onto his back. Will went in for the final blow, slicing Dolarhyde’s stomach open.

  
Will collapsed to the ground, feeling tiny splatters of warm blood hit his face and body as Dolarhyde died from the last attack.

 

Will couldn’t help but watch Dolarhyde die.

 

After a second or two, he pulled himself up to look downward at Dolarhyde’s body lying in a pool of blood.

 

He fell back over from the intensity of his murderous consummation with Hannibal. He felt light thumping from his heart in his chest; part of him wished the killing hadn’t end. The post-orgasmic feeling was more intense that he had expected it to be, but it felt sensational.

 

Will slowly turned over his hand. It was covered in blood, some of it his and some of it Dolarhyde’s.

 

“It really does look black in the moonlight.” He murmured, transfixed on the sight. He watched Hannibal walk over to the edge of the cliff to help him up into a standing position. He felt Hannibal take a hold of his arm and gently pull him up.

 

“See...this is all I ever wanted for you, Will.” Hannibal murmured as Will struggled to look up at him in the eyes. Hannibal’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight and Will lost himself in the gaze. He felt a wave of emotions; he finally felt free, but fear still lingered in the back of his mind.

 

“For both of us.” He heard Hannibal conclude.

  
Will laughed faintly as he looked Hannibal directly in the eyes.

 

“It’s beautiful” Will whispered as he placed a hand on Hannibal’s sweater, grabbing it firmly, wanting to pull Hannibal close to him.

  
His mind reeled; he had given into his darkness. He used his arms to pull himself close to Hannibal, as Hannibal held onto to him in a loving embrace.

 

Will felt his emotions swirl in his head. He wanted Hannibal. He would have given into him there, the moonlight gleaming in the bath of blood surrounding their bodies. Yet, he thought the two of them would _never_ be able to survive in a world post their murderous consummation.

 

He decided that the best solution would be death, an ending to a beautiful realization. He couldn’t fathom yet the possibility of life with Hannibal. He was terrified.

 

Will rested his head on Hannibal’s chest. He felt so warm. His body felt so inviting. Will closed his eyes; warm tears clouded his vision as he wrapped a hand around Hannibal’s neck and pushed his body forward.

 

He felt himself and Hannibal tilt backward off the edge. He whispered, “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, Hannibal,” as their bodies effortlessly swung off the edge of the cliff.

 

Little did Will know that Hannibal had anticipated the move…

 

* * *

 

Hannibal had sensed Will’s hesitance. He had sensed it before Francis appeared, and right before the younger man gave into his urges.

  
Hannibal knew the best solution to their union would be to “fake” their own deaths.

 

Hannibal had chosen the hideout near the cliff as a possible mode of escape long before he had met Will. It was perfect, when the time would inevitably come, Hannibal would use his physical training to "plunge" to his death off the cliff, leading the authorities to believe he had done so.

  
There was a cabin a few miles away from the cliff house, located in a wooded area that would serve as a transitory safe house until fleeing the country for Cuba.

  
Hannibal may have had the plan set in motion long before falling in love with Will, but now he would have a complicit partner involved.

 

Hannibal had positioned himself near the edge of the cliff, waiting for Will to either engage him physically or act irrationally. The younger man had chosen a combination of both. Hannibal heard Will whisper, “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, Hannibal,” as their bodies cascaded off the edge of the cliff.

 

Hannibal immediately went into survivor mode. Will’s body had gone limp, so Hannibal couldn’t pose his body in a traditional skydiving angle to aim at the water without letting go of Will. Hannibal held onto Will as he used his own body as a shield for the two of them.

  
Hannibal wrapped his arms around Will and hugged him close to his body. His body scraped up against the edge of the cliff, which hurt like hell, but the impact slowed their descent.

 

Hannibal allowed himself to hit a few more edges and their bodies’ velocity slowed enough to let the eventual contact with water feel less like hitting asphalt. By this time, their bodies were vertical.

 

Hannibal relaxed his body and tucked Will’s head in toward his chest. Hannibal also covered his own head right before impact.

 

Luckily, they missed the sharp edged rocks lining the water. Hannibal squeezed Will up against his body as they floated back to the surface. He noticed that Will had blacked out from the collision.

 

Hannibal held on to Will as he struggled to swim to the tiny shore at the edge of the water. Will’s body weight and the current fought against him, but he used all of his strength to paddled them both to the shore. He pulled Will out of the water and performed CPR.

 

“Please, Will. I need you to breath.” Hannibal whispered as he compressed Will’s chest, alternating with breathing into the younger man’s mouth. Hannibal felt Will’s chest rise with air, but there was no response. Hannibal felt his eyes fill with hot moisture as he continued compressing Will’s chest. It felt as if he were fighting for Will’s life for hours.

 

“Will, I need you..” Hannibal whispered. He stopped briefly to run a hand through Will’s hair.

  
Suddenly, with the last breath and compress, Will coughed up water. He choked as Hannibal nearly choked up himself. He gently held onto to Will, letting him cough out the remaining water.

 

“Hannibal…? Hannibal…?” Will grabbed the older man’s sweater again. He looked up and Hannibal couldn’t help but stare at the moonlight gleam in Will’s eyes.

 

“Are we alive?”

 

Hannibal couldn’t help but smile down at Will. He caressed his forehead and gently tangled a hand in his hair.

 

“Yes, Will. We are.”

 

* * *

 

_Back to the Present_

 

Detective Isabela Losa watched her brother nervously prance around the outside of the storage container. She was getting fed up with having to deal with his erratic behavior.

 

_He’s going to botch everything...I might have to take matters into my own hands..._

 

Sebastián had almost ruined their plans a few times. The last few murders before the most recent Gattorno murder were sloppy, beyond amateur. She knew from the beginning that _she_ would have to step in and fix the mess her brother made. He was too enamored by Hannibal Lecter.

 

Isabela was leaning up against the container, her arms positioned into a thoughtful pose, holding onto to her service revolver. Her brother passed her a few times before she sighed loudly. She stepped in front of him as he walked swiftly toward her direction once again; he was muttering absolute nonsense.

 

“Sebastián, stop it. You need to calm down.” She finally said standing in front of him to prevent him from moving around again. She rested her hands on his shoulders. She really wanted to slap him, but that would only aggravate him even further, so she controlled herself.

 

“You need to have a clear head...we’re almost done. Soon you’ll get want you want...” She whispered soothingly.

  
Sebastián nodded slowly. The control that Isabela had over her brother was incredible. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to tell him what to do.

  
He had been like that ever since their mother’s death...

 

After their mother died, their father threw himself into his police work. They would often spend whole days at the downtown precinct, going through their father’s case files when no one was watching.

 

It came to a point when she was able to weave her brother into the fold and control him at whim. He had been killing for her for years. Her own personal henchman.

 

Killing Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter would only make it easier for her to continue her murderous rampage uninhibited. Both men had proven more capable and intelligent than she thought they would be. Of course, Isabela had no idea how capable Will and Hannibal truly were.

 

She would coax your brother off his obsession with Hannibal and pressure him to find another mode of inspiration for killing. She would keep using her brother to do her dirty work.

 

“I know. I know! I’m so nervous!” He nearly shouted, shrugging while shifting on his feet. Isabela grabbed his arms. She really had had enough of the crazed fan behavior.

 

Sebastián was usually resolved in his demeanor, but his obsessive personality often broke through. He was frustrating when he didn’t have a clear head.

 

“Sebastián, calm the fuck down, okay? You want to impress Hannibal right?” She had to control the volume of her voice. Her brother was really pissing her off.

 

He nodded back at her slowly.

 

“Good.” She backed away and smiled at him as she crossed his arms. “Now all you have to do is kill Will Graham and then you’ll get the chance to charm Hannibal Lecter with the work you’ve done without the distraction.” She raked over the word “distraction”, in reference to Will.

 

Sebastián nodded again.

 

“You have to be sure of yourself, Sebastián. We’ve done a lot to get here. We’ve both sacrificed too much.” She was practically wagging her finger in his face like a student being scolded by his teacher.

 

Sebastián nodded again. Isabela inched forward to give her brother a half hug. Even though he was a little taller than she was, she managed to capture his gaze to drive her point home.

  
“Okay, go in and kill Graham.” She concluded.

 

Sebastián nodded once more and took in a deep breath before entering the storage container.

 

Isabela waited after the door closed to huff in frustration. Her brother had already fucked up once getting fired from the museum a few months back, but now everything seemed to be working as planned.

 

Isabela pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer. She rubbed a few droplets underneath her eyes to make her eyes water. She sniffed a little as a stream of tears ran down her face. She tousled her hair a bit to look even more distraught as she waited for Sebastián to kill Will.

 

She tapped her foot and looked at her watch. All she could hear were the muffled sounds of voices, but no gun shot. Isabela rubbed her forehead impatiently as she looked around the storage container, on guard for a possible confrontation with Hannibal; considering her brother was taking his fucking sweet time.

 

_What the fuck Sebastián!?_

 

She knew Hannibal would be there soon and she needed Sebastián to kill Will so he could also distract Hannibal so she could kill him. She really didn’t care whether her brother got to kill with Hannibal, actually the opposite. She only used the possibility of meeting Hannibal to get her brother to kill a few people for her.

 

The “Star Fisherman” was an ex, “Ascension” was a former police academy professor, and the last Gattorno murder was someone who had once cut her off while driving.

  
Okay, so the last murder was a _little_ excessive, but Isabela didn’t give a damn. Anytime she was crossed, she would use her brother to rid life of minor annoyances.

 

When they kidnapped Will, they had left a note with the approximate address of the storage container for Hannibal to find.

 

Her plan, after Sebastián killed Will and she killed Hannibal, was to have Sebastián flee the harbor while she called the police. She would then claim becoming distraught after finding out that her crime scene consultant, Hugh Moreau, who was also known as Will Graham, was a rampant serial killer with his husband, Romain Moreau, otherwise known as Hannibal Lecter.

 

Before kidnapping Will, both Isabela and Sebastián had fashioned the “Frankenstein” murders into a sculpture that the authorities would pin on Will and Hannibal. She would be honored as a hero for finally ridding the planet of the likes of Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter, but would continue her own murderous tear through the heart of Havana with the help of her brother.

 

After a minute or two, Isabela grew anxious. Sebastián was taking forever. She acted quickly. No matter what happened tonight, she could still claim innocence.

 

Isabela opened the door to the storage container and observed Sebastián hunched over talking to Will about god-knows-what.

 

“How did you steal the files from the fortress, Sebastián?” She heard Will ask her brother. Isabela crouched near the door waiting for a clear opportunity.

  
“I didn’t. My sister did.” She heard Sebastián answered.

 

 _Fucking idiot._ She thought to herself. She was more upset with the fact that Sebastián was taking his time to kill Will. She thought for a second; maybe it would be easier to get rid of another minor _annoyance_ in her life: her brother.

 

She did want to use Sebastián as much as she could, but he really did fuck up a lot.

  
She thought about his possible reaction to her killing Hannibal. It would be more of a headache than she had realized when she initially came up with the plan.

 

Maybe getting rid of Sebastián as well would be the easiest thing to do. It would definitely remove a plausible link to her connection to the Gattorno murders.

 

She knew she would be able to control another person with Sebastián’s tendencies in the future; it was easier than she had expected. She could also find someone else who wasn’t as erratic as Sebastián.

 

So, before Will could respond to Sebastián, Isabela decided and aimed her gun at her brother, pulling the trigger. He fell over on top of Will.

 

She watched Will bounce in his chair as he tried to look over in the direction of the gunshot. She took her time approaching. Isabela was going to kill Will first, wait for Hannibal and then kill him on arrival. The police would find her brother, Will, and Hannibal dead in the storage container and she would claim innocence.

  
“Thank you...you came just in time.”

 

Isabela cocked her gun again as she continued her approach. She started to fake sob and shake her hand to make it seem as if she were emotionally distressed. She watched Will look up at her then back down at the gun.

  
Her act was a little dramatic, but she needed the authorities to believe her story.

  
“I’m going to kill you too, Hugh...or should I say...Will Graham...” She said slowly.

 

* * *

 

Will only stared back at Det. Losa. He knew she had some connection to the murders besides the fact that her brother as Sebastián. After her last statement, he _knew_ she was more complicit than she was letting on.

 

“Your brother obviously wasn’t the mastermind behind the whole operation, was he?” Will calmly asked.

  
Det. Losa chuckled. “No he wasn’t. He’s been obsessed with your husband for years. I used him.” She shifted on her feet a little and placed a free hand on her hip.

 

“I’m sure, knowing who you are, you know what it’s like to experience the rush of seeing someone die…I wanted to experience that for myself, but of course…” She placed a hand over her heart and lowered her head, “I don’t want to get caught up in the mess with the hunting, disposing the body, and what not. I really don’t like to get into the details.” She waved off the last statement.

 

Det. Losa flipped her hair out of her face, and Will finally saw what he was grappling with the first time he looked into her eyes. She was more than a complicit partner in her brother’s murders; she was the one in absolute control.

 

Will realized that, ever since acting strange with the body puzzle, Det. Losa was only baiting him with her behavior. She was luring him, and by extension Hannibal.

 

But she had miscalculated how Will and Hannibal worked. No one, since living in Havana and killing Robert Amador, had been able to break their resolve.

 

“Besides, I like to watch.” She smirked.

 

Instead of pleading for his life, Will smirked back. Det. Losa noticed and attempted to turn around and face the direction Will was grinning in, but before she could, a loud pop sounded by the entrance of the storage container and she fell to her knees screeching in pain.

 

Hannibal was standing in the entrance, holding Will’s service revolver. He had shot Det. Losa in the back. She was laying on the ground completely silent. A pool of blood surrounded her body.

 

Hannibal ran over to Will to help him out of the chair. Will slumped over his partner’s shoulders, heaving from the stress of being kidnapped and having to interact with Sebastián again.

 

“Are you alright?” Will heard Hannibal whisper to him, but he was too focused on Det. Losa to answer.

 

At that point, Will watched Det. Losa push herself off the ground, aim her gun at the two of them, and pull the trigger. Will tried pushing Hannibal out of the way, but Det. Losa re-directed her aim at Hannibal’s back. Will lunged forward toward Det. Losa, but she managed to shoot Hannibal in the back before he got to her.

 

Will landed on Det. Losa and knocked the gun out of her hand. They wrestled with each other on the ground, fighting to regain control of one of her gun.

  
Will forgot how strong Det. Losa was.

  
_Jesus, she’s strong!_

 

She got on top of Will and punched him in his face a few times. Det. Losa lurched forward to grab her gun, but Will swept his legs underneath her feet, sending Det. Losa to the ground. He got up to grab the gun, but she grabbed him by his pant leg, dragging back to the ground. Will fell over, but near the gun. He tried to reach for it, but Det. Losa dragged him away.

 

Will reached over and tried kicking Det. Losa away, but she was a lot stronger than he had expected.

  
Will reached with all of his strength for Det. Losa’s gun. She got back on top of him and jerked him upward to punch him a few more times in the face. He felt his nose crack.

 

Det. Losa grinned as she held onto to Will’s collar and looked him steadily in the eyes. He looked back at her unflinching. His face hurt like hell, but he didn’t care. He spat out the blood in his mouth and laughed.

  
Will’s laughing took Det. Losa off guard; she had fully expected him to beg for his life.

 

“I’m glad you think this is funny, Graham.” She spat back at him, angrily holding onto his collar.

  
“I’m only laughing because you really thought you could get away with this. You really shouldn’t be so hotheaded, Det. Losa. It could get you _killed_.” Will murmured with a slight grin.

 

Her eyes widened at the provocation, but before she could react, a loud pop sounded from behind and she fell forward on top of Will.

  
Hannibal was lying behind them; one arm wrapped around his waist holding the wound to his back and the other holding Will’s service revolver.

 

“I almost had her, you know.” Will smirked as he pushed Det. Losa off his body.

  
Hannibal chuckled slightly before his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He fell back to the ground, unconscious from the lost of blood.

 

“Hannibal!” Will jumped up panting. He ran over to Hannibal, trying to support his body.

 

His mind flashbacked to the nightmare he had had about Hannibal dying in his arms; he started to shake uncontrollably.

 

Will suddenly told himself that he needed to act instead of letting Hannibal die while doing nothing. He propped Hannibal on his back and led him out of the storage container. He saw Hannibal’s car parked off in the distance and struggle to drag Hannibal to the car.

 

Will opened the passenger side of the car and gently tucked Hannibal in.

 

Hannibal had them keep an emergency first aid kits in both of their cars just in case. Will popped open the trunk and found two kits, one used and the other brand new. He grabbed the brand new kit and went back to check on Hannibal.

 

Hannibal was still unconscious and his body was covered in blood. Will prevented himself from getting upset at the sight; a wave of emotion hit him and it took all of his physical strength to not cry.

 

 _“Hannibal! Keep talking to me…please!”_ Will’s mind reeled back to the details of his nightmare.

 

He remembered cradling Hannibal in his arms, sobbing over his lifeless body.

 

_“Hannibal! Please!”_

 

Will controlled himself, taking a deep breath as he hopped into the driver side of the car. He had to remain composed for Hannibal. That was the only way he could save him. He calmed himself, thinking about what Hannibal would do in the same situation.

 

Will rummaged through the emergency first aid kit and found sutures and bandages. He gently turned Hannibal over onto his side and lifted his shirt. He noticed that the bullet had entered through the back of his waist and exited through the front. Will took a deep breath, calming himself down and relaxing his body.

 

“It’s okay, Hannibal. You’re going to be okay…” Will whispered, knowing that Hannibal was unconscious, but thought that there was a possibility that his partner could still hear him.

 

Will cleaned up the wound and stitched it closed. His stitches were getting better with practice and they almost looked Hannibal’s.

 

Will placed a hand on Hannibal’s backside and felt him breathing. He then placed the bandage over the suture before lying Hannibal back on the seat.

 

He looked over at Hannibal, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Will breathed deeply before turning the car on and whizzing back toward their apartment.

 

Will only managed to figure out his way home by following ordinary landmarks. The storage container was at the docks, by the harbor and Will recognized where they had taken out their boat to dump their copycat murders.

 

Will knew he would be able to get them both home in about 30 minutes, 20 if he drove over the speed limit. Will raced through the streets, periodically glancing over at Hannibal to make sure he was still breathing, then back at the road.

 

Will dragged Hannibal to the second floor of the apartment. He half carried/half dragged Hannibal through the apartment to their bedroom. Hannibal was heavier than Will could manage, but the swell of emotions shot enough adrenaline through his body to half carry him to the bed.

 

Will placed a pillow underneath Hannibal’s head. He was still unconscious, but breathing steadily. Will placed a hand on his partner’s chest and leaned forward to hear Hannibal breathe. It was soothing in a sense; Will knew he would only need to watch Hannibal through the night, periodically checking his partner’s wound.

 

He laid down next to Hannibal on the bed after checking the wound on his back once more. Will snuggled up to Hannibal, keeping his hand on chest.

 

 _“Will, I need you to hold still, please. Just for a moment. I’m almost finished.”_ Will let his mind drift back to the few days they had spent in their hideout after the Fall. He thought about how angry he was at the time that Hannibal didn’t let them die.

 

_“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, Hannibal.”_

 

Will started to choke up, tears streaming down his face. The night of the fall, the moment he had dragged himself and Hannibal off the cliff, in that moment he believed that death was the only solution to act of becoming himself.

 

“I’m finally myself, I can’t lose you…” Will whispered.

 

Will laid with Hannibal on the bed for another hour. Prima had jumped on the bed and snugged between his legs. He let his hand rise and fall with Hannibal’s faint breathing and closed his eyes.

  
After a minute or two, Will’s mind wandered to a dream induced by his emotions and exhaustion.

 

* * *

 

Will wakes up. He realizes he’s not in their apartment anymore, but the environment is familiar...

 

He sits up in the bed and observes that he is lying on the bed in the hull of their boat.

 

Will shakes his head slightly. He notices that he’s wearing only his boxers.

 

He looks around the room quickly and notices also that Hannibal is missing.

 

_Hannibal?!_

 

Will jumps out of the bed and climbs up the stairs to the living room/kitchenette area. He looks around, but Hannibal is nowhere to be found.

 

He walks out toward the deck and sees Hannibal in the process of casting off. Hannibal is wearing shorts and a fitted t-shirt. He turns his head and notices Will watching him from inside the cabin.

 

“You’re awake! I thought you would sleep most of the day.” Hannibal says to him, walking over to greet Will.

 

Will staggers a bit. He remembers seeing Hannibal lying unconscious in their bed before waking up.

  
_Am I dreaming...?_

 

Will lets Hannibal wrap a hand around his waist. He pulls him in and gives him a kiss. Will loses himself in the kiss, but then pulls back to look Hannibal in the eyes.

 

“Hannibal, I thought you died…” He slowly manages.

 

Will feels Hannibal pulling him in tighter.

 

“That was only a dream, my love.” Hannibal whispers back.

 

Will feels Hannibal press his lips against his again, pulling him in tighter.

 

“Let’s go back to the bed. We have some time before we reach the harbor.” Hannibal murmured.

 

A second later, Will’s head hits the pillow on his side of the bed. Hannibal is lying on top of him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear as he grinds his hips up against his own.

 

“You feel absolutely amazing.”

 

Will feels himself getting hard while also feeling Hannibal growing hard through the layers of fabric. Will kisses Hannibal on the neck before kissing him on the lips. He moans into his partner’s mouth as Hannibal continues to rub his body up against Will’s.

 

Will flips them over and tears off their clothing. He smiles down at Hannibal, wishing this moment could last forever, forgetting about the events of the night, before he began dreaming.

 

He leans down to whisper in Hannibal’s ear. “I love you so much, Hannibal.”

 

Hannibal responds by rubbing the nape of Will’s neck. “I love you too, Will.”

 

Will kisses Hannibal again, before leaving warm wet kisses down his chest. He feels Hannibal push up against him as Will makes his way toward Hannibal’s cock. Hannibal moans as Will wraps a hand around his shaft. Will lets his hand glide up and down before replacing his hand with his mouth.

 

Hannibal pushed up against him, pumping his hips up and down in a similar motion as Will licks his cock. Will moans slightly as Hannibal moans.

 

He feels Hannibal flip him over. He presses his back into the bed as Hannibal strokes his cock before using his mouth. Will closes his eyes and thinks about fucking Hannibal. He feels his body push itself into Hannibal’s mouth and feels his partner holding on to his sides to keep him from moving around too much. But Will can’t control himself; his body is reacting intensely to just Hannibal sucking his cock.

 

Will’s body begins to tense up before an oncoming orgasm. He reaches down for Hannibal and pulls him up to meet him with a kiss. They kiss each other for a few moments, moaning slightly into each others mouths.

 

Will gets on top of Hannibal and enters him, shuddering with pleasure while moaning loudly. Hannibal moans in response causing Will to practically lose his mind with sexual ecstasy. He pushes himself in and out of Hannibal as he feels Hannibal tighten a hold around his waist.

 

“I love you so much, Hannibal.” Will whispered in between each thrusts.

 

“I’m in love you with, Will.” Hannibal answers, tightening his grasp on Will’s body. Will feels his body reacting from the motion of fucking Hannibal in the ass. He has one hand wrapped around the nape of Hannibal’s neck and the other is propping him up on the bed.

 

Will tries to stop his body from releasing. He’s trying to hold on this moment for as long as he can. His body shakes more with each thrust and the hold Hannibal has on his body tightens even more.

 

Hannibal moans with one more thrust and Will loses it. He comes inside Hannibal and Hannibal comes all over his chest. Will collapses down on top of Hannibal as he feels his partner pull him close to his body.

 

“I’m finally myself, I can’t lose you…” Will hears himself whisper to Hannibal. He feels his mind separate from his body as the dream becomes hazing.

 

He feels Hannibal gently roll him over so that he was half on top, but his mind still feels like it’s floating above his body, watching them embrace each other on the bed.

 

“You’ll never lose me, Will.”

 

Will presses his lips against Hannibal’s, losing himself in the embrace. But before he can go any further, his mind reminds him of Det. Losa shooting Hannibal and that Hannibal is really lying unconscious in their bed back in Havana…

 

* * *

 

Will woke up with a slight jolt. He was lying down on the bed facing the bathroom. The window was open and he shivered from the breeze.

 

As he yawned, his mind still hazy from the dream, he leaned over to check on Hannibal. Will blinked slowly, but when he opened his eyes, he realized that Hannibal wasn’t in the bed with him.

 

Prima noticed that he was awake and jumped on the bed to cuddle. He unconsciously rubbed her head as he started to panic about Hannibal missing.

 

Will jumped out of the bed and checked the bathroom, however Hannibal wasn’t there.

  
“Hannibal?” Will nearly shouted, panicking even more.

 

Prima squeaked and ran out into the dining room toward the kitchen. Will followed her and saw Hannibal, with his back facing him, cooking. Prima ran up to him yapping for a treat, which he acknowledged. Hannibal bent down and gave her a tiny piece of the sausage he was cooking, wincing in pain as he straightened back up.

 

“Hannibal?” Will managed to let out. His head hurt as if he didn’t get enough sleep. He didn’t know what time it was, but it smelled like Hannibal was cooking breakfast.

 

Hannibal turned around at the call of his name. He smiled slightly before wincing again from the pain radiating from the gunshot.

 

“You’re awake! I thought maybe you would sleep in a little longer.”

 

Without responding verbally, Will ran up to Hannibal and gave him a tight hug. He pulled back a bit after Hannibal huffed a little in pain. However, Hannibal pulled him back in for a hug when he noticed how upset Will looked.

 

“Hannibal, I thought I was going to lose you…” Will whispered. He couldn’t prevent a stream of tears from running down his face as he held on tightly to his partner. He felt Hannibal run a hand through his hair and Will leaned into the embrace.

 

After a minute, Will pulled away. “Why are you cooking? You should be lying down, Hannibal.” He was half upset that Hannibal was over exerting himself, but also extremely happy that Hannibal had survived the gunshot. He knew Hannibal had probably survived worst in the past, long before they had met, but this was an experience Will was still getting use to.

 

Hannibal grinned as he leaned on one foot. “I’m fine. I’ve suffered through much worse.” He placed a hand on Will’s waist. “Also nice job on the stitches. Mine are still better though. Of course, you only need to keep practicing.” He smirked.

 

Will couldn’t help but smile back, even though he was annoyed that Hannibal was joking around instead of lying in the bed getting rest.

 

He leaned back into Hannibal and kissed him on the lips. Hannibal kissed him back while also wrapping his around his waist.

 

“Could we please go back to the bed? I’m still exhausted and you need to rest.” Will said through the kiss.

 

Will could feel Hannibal grinning through the kiss. “Of course. We can eat later.”

 

Will watched Hannibal turn around and switch off the stove. “I didn’t realize it was morning already.” He said as he walked with Hannibal back to the bed. He plopped down as he felt Hannibal lay down next to him.

 

“I think we may have slept through the night and through the next day.” Hannibal offered.

 

Will sat up in the bed. “We slept through a day?” He nearly shouted.

 

Hannibal chuckled, placing a hand on his cheek to calm his partner down. “We definitely needed the rest.”

 

“I guess it’s fortunate that it’s the weekend.” Will sighed, lying back down on the bed. He started to think about all of the grading that he needed to do, but his head was pounding. He was exhausted from dealing with Det. Losa and crying most of the night.

 

“I’m going to need a break in between hunts, baby. I’m so exhausted.” Will sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He felt Prima jump up on the bed as Hannibal placed a hand on his chest.

 

Hannibal chuckled and Prima licked his face.

 

“That’s doable.” Hannibal said in response.

 

All three of them cuddled on the bed, falling asleep for a few more hours before eating the breakfast Hannibal had prepared.

 

* * *

 

_Epilogue…A short preview for Part Two of the “Teacup Redux” series: Identity..._

 

_Flashback to the day before Hannibal killed Miguel Paredes…_

 

“Nothing you’re thinking about doing will ever change my mind.” Paredes said slowly. He had been eating dinner with his wife when one of his mistresses kept calling his personal cell phone.

 

 _Who is that?_ Paredes’ wife had asked, knowing full well who he was speaking to.

 

 _None of your business!_ He had shouted back at her before taking the call.

 

Paredes waited patiently on the phone out on the balcony of his mansion. He was trying to quell his anger at this woman who dared to call his personal phone during dinner.

 

“I told you, she’s not mind.” He raised his voice slightly.

  
“Don’t ever call here again! Also, you no longer work here!” He spat, ending the call.

 

Paredes huffed as he leaned over the balcony. This time the woman had claimed that she had _proof_ that her daughter was Paredes’. He knew he would have to get rid of both the mistress and the girl.

 

Paredes had gotten one of the maids who had worked in his home pregnant about ten years ago. They kept their relationship under wraps, but it was a well known secret amongst the house staff. Even his wife had some idea.

 

The girl lived with her mother, but often, she would come to the Paredes’ mansion while her mother worked. The little girl was there today Hannibal had visited to discuss funding for the decorative arts department.

 

Later in the afternoon, after Hannibal left, Paredes had demanded that his mistress keep the girl out of the house or he would fire her. He couldn’t risk the possibility of the scandal encroaching into his professional life. In retrospect, he should have fired the woman a long time ago after he had learned that she was pregnant, but he thought himself to be magnanimous, so he kept her on. You know, for the sake of the well being of the child...

 

Paredes thought silently to himself a minute longer outside on the balcony. He knew a few people who would be able to take care of his secret.

 

He remembered his mistress telling him that the girl’s name was Elsa...

 

He need to terminate this issue as soon as possible. The woman had threaten to make the affair public and ruin his reputation. Even though Paredes knew no one would believe her word over his, the idea of a scandal would be too much to deal with while living in Havana. He and his wife would have to move back to Spain.

 

Moving back to Spain would mean less income and luxurious items. He couldn’t stand moving into a smaller house and not being able to pay for all of his “indulgences”.

 

He huffed before dialing another number. The phone clicked when the call was received.

  
“Hello? Yes, I need you to do me a favor.” Paredes demanded as he walked back inside.

 

_The next evening..._

 

“Are you ready?” Hannibal heard Will ask him as he placed the place of cheeses on the dining room table.

  
Hannibal placed a gentle hand on Will’s arm. “Of course. He should be here any minute.”

 

Will kissed the back of Hannibal’s neck as he untangled himself from the embrace. Hannibal watched Will walk into the kitchen and then toward the bedroom with Prima’s water and food bowls.

 

The telecom to their main apartment door buzzed. Hannibal wiped his hands on the apron he was wearing before taking it off to let Paredes in.

 

He walked swiftly down the stairs and opened the door to find an exasperated Paredes shouting in Spanish on his phone.

 

“Good evening, Miguel.” Hannibal greeted Paredes as he waited for the man to acknowledge him.

 

Paredes looked up, holding up a finger for Hannibal to wait for him to finish his phone conversation. Paredes shouted some more before ending the call while Hannibal waited patiently propped up against the door frame.

 

“Sorry about that, Romain. A personal matter.” Paredes explained as he brushed pass Hannibal to enter the building.

 

Hannibal followed Paredes up the stairs to the second floor. He had caught the tail end of the conversation.

 

“I do hope everything is fine with Elsa.” Hannibal offered cooly, judging Paredes’ reaction.

 

Paredes whipped around to look at Hannibal. Either he forgot Hannibal knew Spanish or didn’t realize how loud his phone conversation had been, but either way, he was furious that Hannibal mentioned the name of his mistress’ daughter.

 

Paredes penetrated Hannibal’s personal space. However, Hannibal looked undisturbed by the act.

 

Paredes breathed heavily, but then pulled back, laughing loudly.

 

“Aw nothing gets passed you, Romain! Your Spanish is better than I remembered.”

 

He looked Hannibal in the eyes as Hannibal reciprocated.

 

“Let’s just say I have a _little_ secret. A little secret that will soon take care of itself.” Paredes offered, implying something sinister.

 

Hannibal smiled slightly. “Let’s hope this secret doesn’t come out..could ruin you Paredes.”

 

Paredes stayed silent before laughing out loud again. He clapped Hannibal on the back before responding.

 

“Romain, I love your sense of humor!” Paredes shouted, seemingly unbothered by Hannibal’s statement.

  
Hannibal grinned again before leading Paredes into the apartment.

 

_To be continued..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading ! Leave me a comment to let me know what you think ! 
> 
> Part Two of this story is currently in the works. But before that, I'm going to share a new multi chapter story that is a Hannigram AU ("Will you Always Love Me?), as well as other shorter stories. (And yes, I will finally write the "My Architect" fic soon :D)
> 
> love you guys !
> 
> \--lady_slice  
> ladyslice.tumblr.com  
> @lady__slice


End file.
